The Game
by redhedqt
Summary: Ethan Craft has a little game he likes to play. A fun harmless game. Until the object of the game becomes Gordo's girlfriend. LE, LG
1. Introduction

Chapter One   
  
"All right, so," seventeen year old Lizzie McGuire was pacing back and forth in the front of the private room of the library, checking things off on her clipboard as she spoke. "We only have this room for," she looked at her watch, and scowled, "two hours. After that you're splitting up for the internet research. The computers in the back, use google, you all know the drill. Miranda and Danny, you two will team up, Gordo," she smiled at her boyfriend. "You'll be with Ethan if he ever graces us with his presence, and Parker, you'll be alone. That ok?" Lizzie, Gordo, Ethan, Danny, Miranda, and Parker were all members of the Hillridge High Science Olympiad team, and were preparing for the California State Science Olympiad Competition.   
  
"Ethan will be here, baby, relax," Gordo said softly. Lizzie was a walking fireball, which he truly loved about her, but at times, it very much got on his nerves. Like right now. It was 10 am, it wasn't even logical for her to be awake, much less looking completely put together and full of energy.   
  
"Just drink your coffee, Gordo," she shot back. "Now, after the papers, we need to write a segment for the documentary, we're borrowing the library camera. You'll have lunch after that, then it's to Gordo's for editing. All clear?"   
  
"Morning," Ethan blew into the room, flopping into a chair in the corner.   
  
"So nice for you to join us, Craft," Lizzie glared at Ethan, her eyes narrowed. "Would you like me to go over everything you just missed?"   
  
"No thanks, I think doing this every day for the last twelve fucking years of my life gives me some idea of what to expect," he shot back without looking at her. He turned to Danny, "am I with you?"   
  
"You're with me," Gordo told Ethan, his own expression grim. "And exactly what got up your ass this morning?"   
  
Ethan scowled, "nothing."   
  
"Then you'll listen to Lizzie?"   
  
"Yes, sir," Ethan said sarcastically. "So?" He looked at Lizzie with an eyebrow raised. "What great wisdom do you have to share with me today?"   
  
Lizzie shot Gordo a death look before turning her head to face Ethan. "Nothing that could make a dent in that thick skull of yours, Ethan darling. Except, um," she leaned forward to look at him, smirking. "If I were you? I'd get my ass some Stridex now. Looks like you got a pimple, teen beat."   
  
Ethan's face flushed an angry red as he got up, glaring angrily at her. Lizzie had pegged him with the nickname years ago, and god, he hated it. "Thanks, ice queen," he shot back, stomping out of the room.   
  
"Lizzie," Gordo stood up, and touched her elbow lightly.   
  
"Don't you start with me too," she yanked her arm out of his grasp, whirling around to look at him. "Dammit Gordo, how many times do I have to tell you to let me fight my own battles? I defended myself before I started dating you, and I don't need your help!"   
  
"But, Ethan…"   
  
"Ethan is a spoiled little brat who just gets off on you trying to defend me!" Lizzie said angrily. "One of these days, he's gonna get an evil dose of the reality you try so hard to shelter him from, I swear to god…"   
  
"Relax, baby." Ignoring her protests, Gordo cupped Lizzie's face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers, laughing when she continued to try to rant against his lips. "You're making this kiss very difficult," he murmured.   
  
"You need to get into doing research," Lizzie said weakly, looking up into his blue green eyes.   
  
"I need to calm my girl down first," he replied, sliding his hands down to her waist and pulling her body against his. He captured her lips with his for a searing kiss, only pulling away when he finally felt her relax, and heard a soft moan leave her throat. "Better?"   
  
"Better," she whispered, leaning her head against his chest. "Just that kid…"   
  
"Shhhh," Gordo interrupted, pulling away to look into her eyes. "You'll make it work. You always do."   
  
"Yeah," Lizzie smiled at him. "Now will you go get to work?"   
  
"Yes, I will."   
  
"Good."   
  
"I love you," Gordo said, smiling at her before walking away.   
  
"Love you too."   
  
****************************************************************   
  
Lizzie fought back a yawn as she looked at her laptop. She just had to finish this press release, then she could sleep… "You still awake?" She turned around, laughing when she saw Gordo was doing much of the same as her, yawning widely as he lay under the covers in bed, reading a sheaf of papers.   
  
"Barely," he smiled at her, and threw the papers onto the nightstand. "Come here," he pulled back the covers and extended a hand to her. "Whatever that is can wait until tomorrow."   
  
"If we get up before your mom does," Lizzie said, closing her laptop with a bang. "If they catch us again, we're dead." She crawled onto the bed, taking Gordo's hand.   
  
"They didn't kill us last time," Gordo replied evenly, pulling her down on top of him. "One more time couldn't hurt."   
  
"Yeah, I saw the way that my dad was looking at you last time," Lizzie laughed, looping her arms around his neck and stretching out her body on top of his. She sighed happily when she felt his hands run over her back, and rested her head on his chest, "this is nice."   
  
"You're all tense," Gordo remarked, his fingers kneading into the muscles of her lower back. He felt her squirm, and frowned, "Lizzie, school's just started, don't start getting all worked up now."   
  
"I don't mean to, just, jesus, that kid…"   
  
"Lizzie," Gordo pushed her off of him, and rolled over to turn out the light. "How many years have you known Ethan?"   
  
Lizzie shrugged, and slid under the covers, getting comfortable. "I don't know, what, twelve years now?" She'd attended kindergarten all the way up through high school with him, and while he was hot in junior high, he was just an annoying brat in high school. Gordo, however, was a different story. They'd grown up together as best friends, until one summer in Italy, between eighth and ninth grade. "How many years have you known me?"   
  
"That's easy, seventeen," she smiled, and kissed him. "I will never forget the first time we went to kindergarten. Imagine, my protector sitting in the corner crying…"   
  
"Ok, ok, you can forget that part," Gordo laughed, and ran a hand over Lizzie's cheek. "You met Ethan for the first time that day too."   
  
"But I only had eyes for…"   
  
"Yes, I know," he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "My point is, you've known him for this long, and you still let him get to you."   
  
"It's gotten worse, Gordo, don't tell me you don't see it," Ethan argued. "It started when we were dating…"   
  
"…because he hated us sneaking around…"   
  
"..which we HAD to do," Lizzie insisted. "Nobody would have accepted the idea of us dating very well. Hiding it from everyone was a necessary fact."   
  
"I still say, seeing as we told them anyway when we got engaged, we could have told them from the beginning."   
  
"Even then you didn't understand how important it was for me to remain Lizzie McGuire, and NOT David Gordon's girlfriend," Lizzie sighed.   
  
"You are STILL Lizzie McGuire, I don't see how you dating me would have effected that."   
  
"It was just better off the way we did it, waiting until we got caught and spilled it out," Lizzie said firmly. "Anyway, that was when Ethan started becoming truly horrible, and you know it. He knows you'll stick up for me, regardless of who's around, and deliberately provokes me, to provoke YOU."   
  
"I don't like the way he talks to you, that's all," Gordo said, slipping an arm around Lizzie's shoulders and pulling her in to his body. "I wish you'd let me really talk to him about it."   
  
"If it ever starts to seriously interfere with work, I'LL have that talk with him," Lizzie smiled at Gordo. "He's all talk and no play, I'm sure I can get him to crumple if I really try."   
  
Gordo sighed, and nodded. "Fine." He absentmindedly played with the strands of Taylor's hair, watching the way the blonde strands glistened in the near-dark of the room.   
  
"Now go to sleep," Lizzie snuggled into his chest, and kissed his skin. "Ok?"   
  
"Ok," Gordo agreed, but he couldn't quite get his mind off of Ethan. He continued to twist Lizzie's hair around his fingers, thinking. Finally, he said softly, "everyone thought you'd end up with him, you know."   
  
Lizzie opened one eye to peer up at him. "What?"   
  
"Ethan. You two are a lot alike, it's why you never get along. Years ago, long before you and I started seeing each other, Miranda said she was sure you'd hook up with him," Gordo said, a strange expression crossing his face.   
  
"Sure, I'm interested in an obnoxious little brat who's, what, six years behind me in IQ?" Lizzie said sarcastically. "Not a chance in hell."   
  
"All I'm saying is…"   
  
"You think too much, Gordo," Lizzie interrupted, reaching up and putting her hand over his mouth. "I love you dearly, and never, EVER, looked twice at Ethan Craft."   
  
Gordo grabbed her hand, pulling it away from his mouth. "I know you didn't. I'm just saying that we all thought you would."   
  
"That hate turns into love thing only really happens in movies," she replied, twisting around to kiss him. "You are the perfect man for me, and I knew it the first time I laid eyes on you."   
  
"Who else would put up with your insanity, is that it?" Gordo joked, laughing when she smacked his chest lightly. "Deny it, babe."   
  
"Hey, I'm here to stop you from thinking yourself to death."   
  
"Little miss impulsive."   
  
"Mr. obsessive over thinker."   
  
"Opposites attract."   
  
"That they do," Lizzie kissed him again, before returning to her previous position with her head on his chest. "Now go to sleep. No more talk about little kiddie Craft."   
  
"One more thing. You know how we have that never go to bed angry rule?"   
  
"Yeah…"   
  
"I'm adding a new one, ok? No talking about Ethan, or anything school related, in bed."   
  
Lizzie chuckled softly, and nodded. "No problem here. There are things I'd much rather talk about." The no going to bed angry rule carried over from their days dating, and adding one more was fine with her. So they tended to bicker a lot. And so those bickerings tended to have something to do with Ethan Craft more often than not. It all worked out by the time they went to bed, and that was all that mattered.   
  
"Talk about, or do?"   
  
"Do in the morning," she yawned, and rested her head on his chest, her eyes closing. "Sleep now."   
  
"Maybe I should make that wakeup call a little earlier, then?" Gordo asked suggestively.   
  
"Romeo, if you're awake enough to do anything in the morning, I'll probably be too stunned to react anyway," Lizzie said with a soft giggle.   
  
"I'm not a morning person."   
  
"Yes, I know."   
  
"You love me anyway."   
  
"Yes, I do." Lizzie felt his lips brush her forehead, and smiled. "Goodnight Gordo."   
  
"Night Lizzie. Love you."   
  
"Love you more." 


	2. Prologue

Chapter Two   
  
"What?" Lizzie barked into her cellphone as she paced across the small library lounge, one eye on everyone eating lunch. "Who? What paper?" She groaned, and sat down next to Gordo, swiping a carrot stick from his plate. "Fine, put her through."   
  
Ethan watched Lizzie with amusement, a smirk on his face. She was a riot, he had to admit, it was daily entertainment watching her go through her usual tirades. Even when he was the target of those tirades, they were a lot of fun, and he got a kick out of learning new ways to set her off.   
  
"You want WHAT?" Lizzie jumped out of the chair, her eyes wide. She laughed, and shook her head as she spoke into the phone. "No, Kate, you're not talking to Ethan on MY phone!" She shrugged off her denim jacket and slipped it onto the back of the chair, before resuming her pacing. "Why?"   
  
Ethan raised an eyebrow when he heard his name mentioned, and he listened intently as he studied Lizzie. Shame she was such a bitch, really, she was really cute. Beautiful, even, with long thick blonde hair, and brown eyes, and she had one hell of a body. He chewed on his bottom lip as his eyes narrowed, looking her up and down. Her skirt could have been a little shorter, he knew she had great legs under there, but her sleeveless tank did at least expose some of the cleavage he knew she had. Of course, she kept that damn jacket on most of the time…tightass that she was, he chuckled to himself.   
  
"Who? Give me a name," Lizzie said angrily. She returned to her seat and stepped out of her heels, continuing to pace in her stocking feet. "Wait, let me get this straight. You want a comment, from Ethan, about whether or not he may or may not have slept with some girl who doesn't have a name?" She laughed sarcastically, and shook her head. "I don't think so."   
  
Ethan smirked. Who had talked, he wondered? He wasn't being too careful with his targets for the Game as of late, he had to admit. Just all the more reason to find a good girl to go after. One who would take some time to get, where he'd have to work at it. Then, the thrill of victory…THAT would be a lay he'd never forget.   
  
"Ethan is a seventeen year old guy, who acts like it, Kate," Lizzie said firmly. "He's the most popular guy in school, and I'm sure many girls would love to claim they've been in his bed. However, the fact is, this girl probably has not." She listened for a moment, before groaning, "Very nice, Kate. I'll have him call you later. Uh-huh, you too. Bye."  
  
Ethan grinned. All right, so she might be a bitch, but damn did she know how to turn on the charm when she had to. He winked when her eyes locked on him, laughing when she looked away with a scowl. She hated him, though, didn't she…   
  
"Thanks to you too," Lizzie flipped shut the phone, and glared at Ethan. She raised a hand to him when he opened his mouth to speak, shaking her head. "Don't even talk to me right now, Craft, just…don't." She grabbed her shoes and jacket and walked out of the room without another word.   
  
"That was…interesting," Ethan laughed, and ran a hand through his hair.   
  
"Shut up, Ethan," Gordo quickly pushed his chair back and ran after Lizzie, frowning.   
  
Ethan wondered what Lizzie would be like in bed. Probably really hot, with all of that energy and fire. Take some of that anger she loved pointing at him, and use it for something productive… He sat up straight in his chair, his lips curling up in a wicked grin. That was it! The Game! She hated him, she was Gordo's girlfriend, ferchrissakes, he shouldn't even be looking at her. She would be his hardest target ever.   
  
Lizzie McGuire would be a conquest thoroughly worth having in the end, Ethan decided. He'd piss off Gordo, which was always fun, but more than that, he'd have one hell of a struggle getting her to let him in. But she would, he knew, ultimately, he'd be successful in the end. He'd convince her he was the man she'd just described on the phone, and he'd make her his.   
  
Just the kind of challenge he was looking for.   
  
**************************************************************   
  
Over the next few days, Ethan became a master observer, watching Lizzie's every move, while at the same time, slowly toning down his animosity towards her. No too much, though, nothing that would be too obvious, but…just a little. He also discovered, for the first time, some cracks in the slick veneer that was Lizzie and Gordo's relationship. Why hadn't he ever noticed before the amount that they fought with each other? There was definitely tension there, tension he intended to exploit to its fullest.   
  
He was sitting at a table with the other four group members doing research, fighting yawns as the report requirements asked one typical question after another. He knew full well that Lizzie liked the fact that the questions thrown at them were extremely predictable, but every once in a while, wouldn't it be fun if they didn't already know what was going to be asked?   
  
Ethan had to fight back a groan when Gordo went over his section of the report, and rolled his eyes, watching Lizzie sit up straight to listen to his reply. She didn't look so good, he mused, she hadn't for a few days now. Slightly green, even, and the smile on her face as Gordo extolled the wonders of kinetic energy was clearly forced.   
  
Later...  
  
"Man, Lizzie, we sure were lucky having you in charge," Danny interrupted Miranda, not seeing Lizzie's scowl as he did so. "Aren't you glad Gordo?"  
  
Gordo smiled at Lizzie as he nodded his head, "Definitely. We're lucky to have her."   
  
"She has to be in charge," Miranda remarked dryly, laughing when she saw Lizzie smirk at her.   
  
"She couldn't get away from me if she tried," Gordo laughed. "It works out for the best."   
  
Ethan couldn't hold back a grin at that. Yeah, it definitely did…   
  
*********************************************************   
  
The next day, the group, along with their chaperone, Hillridge High Vice Principal Mrs. Culpepper, headed to San Francisco for the Science Olympiad Competition, which was held in the San Francisco Hilton. While the chaperones were in a meeting, the students were in a meeting of their own -- a party.  
  
"Yeah," Ethan nodded to the girl he was talking to, wishing Lizzie would show up and get these people away from him. That was her job, ferchrissakes, why wasn't she here doing it?   
  
"Here," Danny pushed a drink into his hand, smiling widely at the girl standing by Ethan. "Drink."   
  
"Thanks," Ethan threw back the drink, wincing as the liquor burned down his throat. "Christ, Danny, what was…" His words caught in his throat when he saw Lizzie walk into the room, flanked by Gordo. Dear god, she was stunning, wearing a low cut silk tank top of pale blue that clung to her upper torso in all of the right places, vintage jeans with blue lace trims, with her hair piled high on her head. He checked his reaction immediately, realizing that ogling Gordo's girlfriend in public was not the smartest of things to do, and instead forced a smirk onto his face as she walked over to him. "Well, well, well," he smiled at her, looking her up at down. "Doesn't Lizzie clean up nice." Understatement of the year, jesus christ…   
  
"Why thank you, Ethan," Lizzie smiled sweetly at him, smoothing her jeans out over her legs. She rather liked the jeans herself. "How are you two doing tonight?"   
  
Ethan looked around him, having honestly forgotten Danny's presence. The boy he'd been talking to had thankfully disappeared, however. "Waiting for you to get here."   
  
"Sorry," she looked genuinely apologetic, as she sighed. "I didn't feel well, it took me a while to get dressed."   
  
"Are you ok?" Ethan and Danny both asked at the same time, Ethan laughing lightly, before shrugging. "Well, are you?"   
  
Danny's head whipped around to stare at Ethan, stunned by the show of concern. "Maybe you shouldn't have had that drink," he mumbled, grabbing the empty glass from Ethan's hand.   
  
"I'll be ok," Lizzie nodded, and sighed. "Come on, there's some girls who are just DYING to talk you."   
  
"Sure," Ethan followed Lizzie without complaint, turning around and waving for Danny to do the same. "Come on, D."   
  
Danny watched Ethan walking after Lizzie for a moment, before shaking his head, and joining them. "All right, all right."   
  
******************************************************************   
  
"That went well," Gordo remarked from his spot next to Lizzie on the couch. He leaned over and kissed the back of her neck, frowning when she squirmed away. "What?"   
  
"Not now," she said softly, before turning her attention to Miranda. "You were alone most of the night, how did it go for you?"   
  
Miranda shrugged, "nothing I haven't been asked before. No worries Liz, I'm cool."   
  
"Come on baby, party's over, let's go," Gordo cooed to Lizzie, one of his hands sliding over her leg and running up her thigh.   
  
"Dammit, Gordo, I said no," she grabbed his hand and pulled it away, glaring at him. "I told you I don't feel well!"   
  
"Maybe if you'd had a little less to drink you would be feeling better," he snapped.   
  
"Hey, Gordo, Lizzie's been sick for a couple days," Danny leapt to her defense, frowning at his friend. "Leave her alone."   
  
"Fine. I will," Gordo got up and stormed out of the room, ignoring Lizzie's pleas for him to stay.   
  
"Fuck," she cursed, covering her face with her hands and sliding down on the couch.   
  
"Lizzie, he's just drunk," Miranda said consolingly, taking the spot on the sofa vacated by Gordo. "Don't feel bad."   
  
"I know he's drunk, but, shit, I'm not," she said angrily, shaking her head.   
  
"I think we should all probably just head to bed," Danny suggested, standing up and stretching.   
  
"Um," Ethan frowned, and looked at Lizzie. "Where are you gonna go?"   
  
Lizzie sighed, "I'm going to go talk to the idiot, I guess."   
  
"If you need anything, just holler, ok?" Danny told her as he stood up.   
  
"Ok," Lizzie waited for everyone to clear out of the room before pushing herself up from the couch, biting her lip at the wave of nausea that swept over her from the movement. She had the flu, it had been coming on for days, everyone could see it…why couldn't Gordo? Slowly she made her way down the hall to her room, banging on the door and calling for Gordo. "Baby, it's me, open the door." She groaned when she didn't hear a reply, and rested her head against the door, breathing heavily as her stomach churned. "Gordo…"   
  
Still no reply.   
  
"You asshole, Gordo, open the goddamn door!"   
  
Nothing.   
  
"Fuck," she turned and ran down the hall to the public bathroom, barely making it inside before she got sick. If there was anything Lizzie hated with a passion, other than Ethan Craft, that is, it was being sick. Fighting back tears, she rinsed out her mouth, before stumbling out the door, leaning against the wall in the hallway, wondering where she was going to go.   
  
"Stop it," Lizzie told herself, banging her head against the wall to clear it. Her head was so foggy, blackness clouding her vision, her knees felt weak, this was just…bad. "Shit," she said an instant before she slid to the floor, her knees giving out under her as she broke out in a cold sweat.   
  
"Lizzie?"   
  
"Go away," she muttered, turning her head away from the soft voice. God, not Ethan. Not now.   
  
"Lizzie, you look awful, let me help," Ethan knelt down in front of her and touched her cheek, forcing her to look at him. "Where's Gordo?"   
  
"Passed out in our room, I guess," Lizzie said weakly. She could barely focus her eyes on Ethan, but she could have sworn she saw, what was that…compassion? No way. Ethan Craft didn't feel compassion towards anyone.   
  
"Come on, you can't spend the night in the hall," ignoring Lizzie's protests, Ethan scooped her up in his arms and carried her into his room, setting her down on his bed.   
  
"Ethan, I can't, I'm gonna," was all Lizzie got out before she threw up again, rolling onto her side just in time to aim for the garbage bin Ethan had managed to grab for her.   
  
"God, you really are sick," Ethan said softly, pressing the back of his palm to her forehead. "Got a fever too."   
  
"I'm fine," she mumbled, as she began to cry, curling up into a ball. This had to be her worst nightmare coming true. Sick as a dog, in Ethan CRAFT's bed, locked out of her own room…just totally and completely helpless.   
  
"Oh Lizzie," he breathed, sitting down next to her and pulling her into a hug. "Shhh, everything's going to be ok," he reassured her, his fingers gently pushing away the soft tendrils of hair that had fallen down and stuck onto her sweaty forehead. How could Gordo just lock her out like that? Couldn't he see she was sick? Jesus, and couldn't he see that…even sick…she was amazing. Maybe it was because she was sick? Lizzie was normally so in control, so strong, it was annoying. But now, like this, she was all soft and vulnerable…he just wanted to take care of her.   
  
"Gordo," Lizzie whispered, clutching Ethan's shirt in her fists as she cried. "Goddamn fucking bastard asshole."   
  
Ethan laughed at the slew of curses that left her throat. Even without any energy at all, she still was able to summon up that amount of anger. It was absolutely adorable. "I should get him, tell him you're here."   
  
"No, I…Ethan…" Lizzie squirmed, and Ethan quickly grabbed the garbage pail for her, holding her head as she threw up again. "I hate this," she gasped, rolling over onto her back and looking up at Ethan sadly.   
  
"I'll call Danny, make him go bang Gordo's door down, ok?" Ethan offered.   
  
Lizzie just nodded, watching as Ethan placed the call. When he hung up the phone, she touched his cheek, a curious expression crossing her face. "Why are you doing this?" She asked softly.   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"You hate me."   
  
Ethan's breath nearly stopped at the pain in Lizzie's voice, and he shook his head quickly, "I don't hate you, Lizzie."   
  
"Yes, you do," she insisted, groaning when he pulled her into his body. "Ethan…"   
  
"Shh, let me make you feel better," he commanded, wrapping his arms around her. "Gordo will be here soon."   
  
"You hate me," Lizzie repeated, her body shaking with another sob. "You always have."   
  
Ethan stared at her for a moment, before answering softly, "I thought you hated me."   
  
"Because of the way you treat me…."   
  
"It's fun, that's all."   
  
Lizzie looked up at him, tears brimming her eyes. "You don't hate me?" She sniffled, biting her lip as she realized what she was saying. Jesus, she got sick and became an idiot, didn't she…talking to Ethan about why he hated her? Please…   
  
"No, Lizzie, not at all," Ethan reassured her, smiling when she scowled. "Really."   
  
"I always hoped that someday we'd get along," she whispered, her eyes closing as she began to grow sleepy.   
  
"We will, Lizzie," he told her softly. "We'll get along so well," he smirked, thankful her eyes weren't open to see his face. God, would they ever…   
  
"Good," she murmured, before falling asleep, her head resting peacefully on his chest.   
  
"Where's my girlfriend?" Gordo tore into the room a moment later, stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of her curled up in Ethan's arms. "What the fuck!"   
  
"She's sick, Gordo, really sick," Ethan said softly, slowly extricating himself from Lizzie, and getting up. "Get in," he waved to the bed. "I'll sleep out in the lounge, I don't think you should move her."   
  
Gordo looked at Ethan in surprise, before turning his attention back to Lizzie on the bed. "She's sick?"   
  
"Yeah, she is," Ethan replied. He watched Gordo crawl into bed next to Lizzie, wincing slightly at the thought of him sleeping with her in HIS bed. But…it would work well to get Lizzie to trust him, and that was what mattered. "Tell her she'll be all right, ok?"   
  
"She hates being sick," Gordo said softly, looking closely at his girlfriend's tear stained cheeks. "She was crying?"   
  
"Just upset," Ethan nodded. He turned to leave, stopping when Gordo called his name. "What?"   
  
"Here," Gordo threw his room key at Ethan. "No reason for that bed to go wasted."   
  
"Oh," Ethan caught the key, forcing a smile onto his face. Great. They'd sleep in his bed, and he'd sleep….alone…in theirs. Sick. "Thanks."   
  
"No, Ethan," Gordo smiled at him, well aware he'd messed up but good tonight. "Thank you."   
  
"I didn't do it for you, Gordo," Ethan looked at Lizzie, and sighed. "I did it for her."   
  
********************************************************************** 


	3. Chapter One

Chapter One   
  
"All right, so," seventeen year old Lizzie McGuire was pacing back and forth in the front of the private room of the library, checking things off on her clipboard as she spoke. "We only have this room for," she looked at her watch, and scowled, "two hours. After that you're splitting up for the internet research. The computers in the back, use google, you all know the drill. Miranda and Danny, you two will team up, Gordo," she smiled at her boyfriend. "You'll be with Ethan if he ever graces us with his presence, and Parker, you'll be alone. That ok?"   
  
"Ethan will be here, baby, relax," Gordo said softly. Lizzie was a walking fireball, which he truly loved about her, but at times, it very much got on his nerves. Like right now. It was 10 am, it wasn't even logical for her to be awake, much less looking completely put together and full of energy.   
  
"Just drink your coffee, Gordo," she shot back. "Now, after the papers, we need to write a segment for the documentary, we're borrowing the library camera. You'll have lunch after that, then it's to Gordo's for editing. All clear?"   
  
"Morning," Ethan blew into the room, flopping into a chair in the corner.   
  
"So nice for you to join us, Craft," Lizzie glared at Ethan, her eyes narrowed. "Would you like me to go over everything you just missed?"   
  
"No thanks, I think doing this every day for the last twelve fucking years of my life gives me some idea of what to expect," he shot back without looking at her. He turned to Danny, "am I with you?"   
  
"You're with me," Gordo told Ethan, his own expression grim. "And exactly what got up your ass this morning?"   
  
Ethan scowled, "nothing."   
  
"Then you'll listen to Lizzie?"   
  
"Yes, sir," Ethan said sarcastically. "So?" He looked at Lizzie with an eyebrow raised. "What great wisdom do you have to share with me today?"   
  
Lizzie shot Gordo a death look before turning her head to face Ethan. "Nothing that could make a dent in that thick skull of yours, Ethan darling. Except, um," she leaned forward to look at him, smirking. "If I were you? I'd get my ass some Stridex now. Looks like you got a pimple, teen beat."   
  
Ethan's face flushed an angry red as he got up, glaring angrily at her. Lizzie had pegged him with the nickname years ago, and god, he hated it. "Thanks, ice queen," he shot back, stomping out of the room.   
  
"Lizzie," Gordo stood up, and touched her elbow lightly.   
  
"Don't you start with me too," she yanked her arm out of his grasp, whirling around to look at him. "Dammit Gordo, how many times do I have to tell you to let me fight my own battles? I defended myself before I started dating you, and I don't need your help!"   
  
"But, Ethan…"   
  
"Ethan is a spoiled little brat who just gets off on you trying to defend me!" Lizzie said angrily. "One of these days, he's gonna get an evil dose of the reality you try so hard to shelter him from, I swear to god…"   
  
"Relax, baby." Ignoring her protests, Gordo cupped Lizzie's face in his hands and pressed his lips to hers, laughing when she continued to try to rant against his lips. "You're making this kiss very difficult," he murmured.   
  
"You need to get into doing research," Lizzie said weakly, looking up into his blue green eyes.   
  
"I need to calm my girl down first," he replied, sliding his hands down to her waist and pulling her body against his. He captured her lips with his for a searing kiss, only pulling away when he finally felt her relax, and heard a soft moan leave her throat. "Better?"   
  
"Better," she whispered, leaning her head against his chest. "Just that kid…"   
  
"Shhhh," Gordo interrupted, pulling away to look into her eyes. "You'll make it work. You always do."   
  
"Yeah," Lizzie smiled at him. "Now will you go get to work?"   
  
"Yes, I will."   
  
"Good."   
  
"I love you," Gordo said, smiling at her before walking away.   
  
"Love you too."   
  
****************************************************************   
  
Lizzie fought back a yawn as she looked at her laptop. She just had to finish this press release, then she could sleep… "You still awake?" She turned around, laughing when she saw Gordo was doing much of the same as her, yawning widely as he lay under the covers in bed, reading a sheaf of papers.   
  
"Barely," he smiled at her, and threw the papers onto the nightstand. "Come here," he pulled back the covers and extended a hand to her. "Whatever that is can wait until tomorrow."   
  
"If we get up before your mom does," Lizzie said, closing her laptop with a bang. "If they catch us again, we're dead." She crawled onto the bed, taking Gordo's hand.   
  
"They didn't kill us last time," Gordo replied evenly, pulling her down on top of him. "One more time couldn't hurt."   
  
"Yeah, I saw the way that my dad was looking at you last time," Lizzie laughed, looping her arms around his neck and stretching out her body on top of his. She sighed happily when she felt his hands run over her back, and rested her head on his chest, "this is nice."   
  
"You're all tense," Gordo remarked, his fingers kneading into the muscles of her lower back. He felt her squirm, and frowned, "Lizzie, school's just started, don't start getting all worked up now."   
  
"I don't mean to, just, jesus, that kid…"   
  
"Lizzie," Gordo pushed her off of him, and rolled over to turn out the light. "How many years have you known Ethan?"   
  
Lizzie shrugged, and slid under the covers, getting comfortable. "I don't know, what, twelve years now?" She'd attended kindergarten all the way up through high school with him, and while he was hot in junior high, he was just an annoying brat in high school. Gordo, however, was a different story. They'd grown up together as best friends, until one summer in Italy, between eighth and ninth grade. "How many years have you known me?"   
  
"That's easy, seventeen," she smiled, and kissed him. "I will never forget the first time we went to kindergarten. Imagine, my protector sitting in the corner crying…"   
  
"Ok, ok, you can forget that part," Gordo laughed, and ran a hand over Lizzie's cheek. "You met Ethan for the first time that day too."   
  
"But I only had eyes for…"   
  
"Yes, I know," he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "My point is, you've known him for this long, and you still let him get to you."   
  
"It's gotten worse, Gordo, don't tell me you don't see it," Ethan argued. "It started when we were dating…"   
  
"…because he hated us sneaking around…"   
  
"..which we HAD to do," Lizzie insisted. "Nobody would have accepted the idea of us dating very well. Hiding it from everyone was a necessary fact."   
  
"I still say, seeing as we told them anyway when we got engaged, we could have told them from the beginning."   
  
"Even then you didn't understand how important it was for me to remain Lizzie McGuire, and NOT David Gordon's girlfriend," Lizzie sighed.   
  
"You are STILL Lizzie McGuire, I don't see how you dating me would have effected that."   
  
"It was just better off the way we did it, waiting until we got caught and spilled it out," Lizzie said firmly. "Anyway, that was when Ethan started becoming truly horrible, and you know it. He knows you'll stick up for me, regardless of who's around, and deliberately provokes me, to provoke YOU."   
  
"I don't like the way he talks to you, that's all," Gordo said, slipping an arm around Lizzie's shoulders and pulling her in to his body. "I wish you'd let me really talk to him about it."   
  
"If it ever starts to seriously interfere with work, I'LL have that talk with him," Lizzie smiled at Gordo. "He's all talk and no play, I'm sure I can get him to crumple if I really try."   
  
Gordo sighed, and nodded. "Fine." He absentmindedly played with the strands of Taylor's hair, watching the way the blonde strands glistened in the near-dark of the room.   
  
"Now go to sleep," Lizzie snuggled into his chest, and kissed his skin. "Ok?"   
  
"Ok," Gordo agreed, but he couldn't quite get his mind off of Ethan. He continued to twist Lizzie's hair around his fingers, thinking. Finally, he said softly, "everyone thought you'd end up with him, you know."   
  
Lizzie opened one eye to peer up at him. "What?"   
  
"Ethan. You two are a lot alike, it's why you never get along. Years ago, long before you and I started seeing each other, Miranda said she was sure you'd hook up with him," Gordo said, a strange expression crossing his face.   
  
"Sure, I'm interested in an obnoxious little brat who's, what, six years behind me in IQ?" Lizzie said sarcastically. "Not a chance in hell."   
  
"All I'm saying is…"   
  
"You think too much, Gordo," Lizzie interrupted, reaching up and putting her hand over his mouth. "I love you dearly, and never, EVER, looked twice at Ethan Craft."   
  
Gordo grabbed her hand, pulling it away from his mouth. "I know you didn't. I'm just saying that we all thought you would."   
  
"That hate turns into love thing only really happens in movies," she replied, twisting around to kiss him. "You are the perfect man for me, and I knew it the first time I laid eyes on you."   
  
"Who else would put up with your insanity, is that it?" Gordo joked, laughing when she smacked his chest lightly. "Deny it, babe."   
  
"Hey, I'm here to stop you from thinking yourself to death."   
  
"Little miss impulsive."   
  
"Mr. obsessive over thinker."   
  
"Opposites attract."   
  
"That they do," Lizzie kissed him again, before returning to her previous position with her head on his chest. "Now go to sleep. No more talk about little kiddie Craft."   
  
"One more thing. You know how we have that never go to bed angry rule?"   
  
"Yeah…"   
  
"I'm adding a new one, ok? No talking about Ethan, or anything school related, in bed."   
  
Lizzie chuckled softly, and nodded. "No problem here. There are things I'd much rather talk about." The no going to bed angry rule carried over from their days dating, and adding one more was fine with her. So they tended to bicker a lot. And so those bickerings tended to have something to do with Ethan Craft more often than not. It all worked out by the time they went to bed, and that was all that mattered.   
  
"Talk about, or do?"   
  
"Do in the morning," she yawned, and rested her head on his chest, her eyes closing. "Sleep now."   
  
"Maybe I should make that wakeup call a little earlier, then?" Gordo asked suggestively.   
  
"Romeo, if you're awake enough to do anything in the morning, I'll probably be too stunned to react anyway," Lizzie said with a soft giggle.   
  
"I'm not a morning person."   
  
"Yes, I know."   
  
"You love me anyway."   
  
"Yes, I do." Lizzie felt his lips brush her forehead, and smiled. "Goodnight Gordo."   
  
"Night Lizzie. Love you."   
  
"Love you more." 


	4. Chapter Two

Chapter Two   
  
"What?" Lizzie barked into her cellphone as she paced across the small library lounge, one eye on everyone eating lunch. "Who? What paper?" She groaned, and sat down next to Gordo, swiping a carrot stick from his plate. "Fine, put her through."   
  
Ethan watched Lizzie with amusement, a smirk on his face. She was a riot, he had to admit, it was daily entertainment watching her go through her usual tirades. Even when he was the target of those tirades, they were a lot of fun, and he got a kick out of learning new ways to set her off.   
  
"You want WHAT?" Lizzie jumped out of the chair, her eyes wide. She laughed, and shook her head as she spoke into the phone. "No, Kate, you're not talking to Ethan on MY phone!" She shrugged off her denim jacket and slipped it onto the back of the chair, before resuming her pacing. "Why?"   
  
Ethan raised an eyebrow when he heard his name mentioned, and he listened intently as he studied Lizzie. Shame she was such a bitch, really, she was really cute. Beautiful, even, with long thick blonde hair, and brown eyes, and she had one hell of a body. He chewed on his bottom lip as his eyes narrowed, looking her up and down. Her skirt could have been a little shorter, he knew she had great legs under there, but her sleeveless tank did at least expose some of the cleavage he knew she had. Of course, she kept that damn jacket on most of the time…tightass that she was, he chuckled to himself.   
  
"Who? Give me a name," Lizzie said angrily. She returned to her seat and stepped out of her heels, continuing to pace in her stocking feet. "Wait, let me get this straight. You want a comment, from Ethan, about whether or not he may or may not have slept with some girl who doesn't have a name?" She laughed sarcastically, and shook her head. "I don't think so."   
  
Ethan smirked. Who had talked, he wondered? He wasn't being too careful with his targets for the Game as of late, he had to admit. Just all the more reason to find a good girl to go after. One who would take some time to get, where he'd have to work at it. Then, the thrill of victory…THAT would be a lay he'd never forget.   
  
"Ethan is a seventeen year old guy, who acts like it, Kate," Lizzie said firmly. "He's the most popular guy in school, and I'm sure many girls would love to claim they've been in his bed. However, the fact is, this girl probably has not." She listened for a moment, before groaning, "Very nice, Kate. I'll have him call you later. Uh-huh, you too. Bye."  
  
Ethan grinned. All right, so she might be a bitch, but damn did she know how to turn on the charm when she had to. He winked when her eyes locked on him, laughing when she looked away with a scowl. She hated him, though, didn't she…   
  
"Thanks to you too," Lizzie flipped shut the phone, and glared at Ethan. She raised a hand to him when he opened his mouth to speak, shaking her head. "Don't even talk to me right now, Craft, just…don't." She grabbed her shoes and jacket and walked out of the room without another word.   
  
"That was…interesting," Ethan laughed, and ran a hand through his hair.   
  
"Shut up, Ethan," Gordo quickly pushed his chair back and ran after Lizzie, frowning.   
  
Ethan wondered what Lizzie would be like in bed. Probably really hot, with all of that energy and fire. Take some of that anger she loved pointing at him, and use it for something productive… He sat up straight in his chair, his lips curling up in a wicked grin. That was it! The Game! She hated him, she was Gordo's girlfriend, ferchrissakes, he shouldn't even be looking at her. She would be his hardest target ever.   
  
Lizzie McGuire would be a conquest thoroughly worth having in the end, Ethan decided. He'd piss off Gordo, which was always fun, but more than that, he'd have one hell of a struggle getting her to let him in. But she would, he knew, ultimately, he'd be successful in the end. He'd convince her he was the man she'd just described on the phone, and he'd make her his.   
  
Just the kind of challenge he was looking for.   
  
**************************************************************   
  
Over the next few days, Ethan became a master observer, watching Lizzie's every move, while at the same time, slowly toning down his animosity towards her. No too much, though, nothing that would be too obvious, but…just a little. He also discovered, for the first time, some cracks in the slick veneer that was Lizzie and Gordo's relationship. Why hadn't he ever noticed before the amount that they fought with each other? There was definitely tension there, tension he intended to exploit to its fullest.   
  
He was sitting at a table with the other four group members doing research, fighting yawns as the report requirements asked one typical question after another. He knew full well that Lizzie liked the fact that the questions thrown at them were extremely predictable, but every once in a while, wouldn't it be fun if they didn't already know what was going to be asked?   
  
Ethan had to fight back a groan when Gordo went over his section of the report, and rolled his eyes, watching Lizzie sit up straight to listen to his reply. She didn't look so good, he mused, she hadn't for a few days now. Slightly green, even, and the smile on her face as Gordo extolled the wonders of kinetic energy was clearly forced.   
  
Later...  
  
"Man, Lizzie, we sure were lucky having you in charge," Danny interrupted Miranda, not seeing Lizzie's scowl as he did so. "Aren't you glad Gordo?"  
  
Gordo smiled at Lizzie as he nodded his head, "Definitely. We're lucky to have her."   
  
"She has to be in charge," Miranda remarked dryly, laughing when she saw Lizzie smirk at her.   
  
"She couldn't get away from me if she tried," Gordo laughed. "It works out for the best."   
  
Ethan couldn't hold back a grin at that. Yeah, it definitely did…   
  
*********************************************************   
  
The next day, the group, along with with many other kids at Hillridge High School attended a huge party at the Hillridge Hilton, many of them renting rooms to go along with the party.  
  
"Yeah," Ethan nodded to the cheerleader he was talking to, wishing Lizzie would show up and get these people away from him. That was her job, ferchrissakes, why wasn't she here doing it?   
  
"Here," Danny pushed a drink into his hand, smiling widely at the girl standing by Ethan. "Drink."   
  
"Thanks," Ethan threw back the drink, wincing as the liquor burned down his throat. "Christ, Danny, what was…" His words caught in his throat when he saw Lizzie walk into the room, flanked by Gordo. Dear god, she was stunning, wearing a low cut silk tank top of pale blue that clung to her upper torso in all of the right places, vintage jeans with blue lace trims, with her hair piled high on her head. He checked his reaction immediately, realizing that ogling Gordo's girlfriend in public was not the smartest of things to do, and instead forced a smirk onto his face as she walked over to him. "Well, well, well," he smiled at her, looking her up at down. "Doesn't Lizzie clean up nice." Understatement of the year, jesus christ…   
  
"Why thank you, Ethan," Lizzie smiled sweetly at him, smoothing her jeans out over her legs. She rather liked the jeans herself. "How are you two doing tonight?"   
  
Ethan looked around him, having honestly forgotten Danny's presence. The boy he'd been talking to had thankfully disappeared, however. "Waiting for you to get here."   
  
"Sorry," she looked genuinely apologetic, as she sighed. "I didn't feel well, it took me a while to get dressed."   
  
"Are you ok?" Ethan and Danny both asked at the same time, Ethan laughing lightly, before shrugging. "Well, are you?"   
  
Danny's head whipped around to stare at Ethan, stunned by the show of concern. "Maybe you shouldn't have had that drink," he mumbled, grabbing the empty glass from Ethan's hand.   
  
"I'll be ok," Lizzie nodded, and sighed. "Come on, there's some girls who are just DYING to talk you."   
  
"Sure," Ethan followed Lizzie without complaint, turning around and waving for Brian to do the same. "Come on, D."   
  
Danny watched Ethan walking after Lizzie for a moment, before shaking his head, and joining them. "All right, all right."   
  
******************************************************************   
  
"That went well," Gordo remarked from his spot next to Lizzie on the couch. He leaned over and kissed the back of her neck, frowning when she squirmed away. "What?"   
  
"Not now," she said softly, before turning her attention to Miranda. "You were alone most of the night, how did it go for you?"   
  
Miranda shrugged, "nothing I haven't been asked before. No worries Liz, I'm cool."   
  
"Come on baby, party's over, let's go," Gordo cooed to Lizzie, one of his hands sliding over her leg and running up her thigh.   
  
"Dammit, Gordo, I said no," she grabbed his hand and pulled it away, glaring at him. "I told you I don't feel well!"   
  
"Maybe if you'd had a little less to drink you would be feeling better," he snapped.   
  
"Hey, Kev, Lizzie's been sick for a couple days," Danny leapt to her defense, frowning at his friend. "Leave her alone."   
  
"Fine. I will," Gordo got up and stormed out of the room, ignoring Lizzie's pleas for him to stay.   
  
"Fuck," she cursed, covering her face with her hands and sliding down on the couch.   
  
"Lizzie, he's just drunk," Miranda said consolingly, taking the spot on the sofa vacated by Gordo. "Don't feel bad."   
  
"I know he's drunk, but, shit, I'm not," she said angrily, shaking her head.   
  
"I think we should all probably just head to bed," Danny suggested, standing up and stretching.   
  
"Um," Ethan frowned, and looked at Lizzie. "Where are you gonna go?"   
  
Lizzie sighed, "I'm going to go talk to the idiot, I guess."   
  
"If you need anything, just holler, ok?" Danny told her as he stood up.   
  
"Ok," Lizzie waited for everyone to clear out of the room before pushing herself up from the couch, biting her lip at the wave of nausea that swept over her from the movement. She had the flu, it had been coming on for days, everyone could see it…why couldn't Gordo? Slowly she made her way down the hall to her room, banging on the door and calling for Gordo. "Baby, it's me, open the door." She groaned when she didn't hear a reply, and rested her head against the door, breathing heavily as her stomach churned. "Gordo…"   
  
Still no reply.   
  
"You asshole, Gordo, open the goddamn door!"   
  
Nothing.   
  
"Fuck," she turned and ran down the hall to the public bathroom, barely making it inside before she got sick. If there was anything Lizzie hated with a passion, other than Ethan Craft, that is, it was being sick. Fighting back tears, she rinsed out her mouth, before stumbling out the door, leaning against the wall in the hallway, wondering where she was going to go.   
  
"Stop it," Lizzie told herself, banging her head against the wall to clear it. Her head was so foggy, blackness clouding her vision, her knees felt weak, this was just…bad. "Shit," she said an instant before she slid to the floor, her knees giving out under her as she broke out in a cold sweat.   
  
"Lizzie?"   
  
"Go away," she muttered, turning her head away from the soft voice. God, not Ethan. Not now.   
  
"Lizzie, you look awful, let me help," Ethan knelt down in front of her and touched her cheek, forcing her to look at him. "Where's Gordo?"   
  
"Passed out in our room, I guess," Lizzie said weakly. She could barely focus her eyes on Ethan, but she could have sworn she saw, what was that…compassion? No way. Ethan Craft didn't feel compassion towards anyone.   
  
"Come on, you can't spend the night in the hall," ignoring Lizzie's protests, Ethan scooped her up in his arms and carried her into his room, setting her down on his bed.   
  
"Ethan, I can't, I'm gonna," was all Lizzie got out before she threw up again, rolling onto her side just in time to aim for the garbage bin Ethan had managed to grab for her.   
  
"God, you really are sick," Ethan said softly, pressing the back of his palm to her forehead. "Got a fever too."   
  
"I'm fine," she mumbled, as she began to cry, curling up into a ball. This had to be her worst nightmare coming true. Sick as a dog, in Ethan CRAFT's bed, locked out of her own room…just totally and completely helpless.   
  
"Oh Lizzie," he breathed, sitting down next to her and pulling her into a hug. "Shhh, everything's going to be ok," he reassured her, his fingers gently pushing away the soft tendrils of hair that had fallen down and stuck onto her sweaty forehead. How could Gordo just lock her out like that? Couldn't he see she was sick? Jesus, and couldn't he see that…even sick…she was amazing. Maybe it was because she was sick? Lizzie was normally so in control, so strong, it was annoying. But now, like this, she was all soft and vulnerable…he just wanted to take care of her.   
  
"Gordo," Lizzie whispered, clutching Ethan's shirt in her fists as she cried. "Goddamn fucking bastard asshole."   
  
Ethan laughed at the slew of curses that left her throat. Even without any energy at all, she still was able to summon up that amount of anger. It was absolutely adorable. "I should get him, tell him you're here."   
  
"No, I…Ethan…" Lizzie squirmed, and Ethan quickly grabbed the garbage pail for her, holding her head as she threw up again. "I hate this," she gasped, rolling over onto her back and looking up at Ethan sadly.   
  
"I'll call Danny, make him go bang Gordo's door down, ok?" Ethan offered.   
  
Lizzie just nodded, watching as Ethan placed the call. When he hung up the phone, she touched his cheek, a curious expression crossing her face. "Why are you doing this?" She asked softly.   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"You hate me."   
  
Ethan's breath nearly stopped at the pain in Lizzie's voice, and he shook his head quickly, "I don't hate you, Lizzie."   
  
"Yes, you do," she insisted, groaning when he pulled her into his body. "Ethan…"   
  
"Shh, let me make you feel better," he commanded, wrapping his arms around her. "Gordo will be here soon."   
  
"You hate me," Lizzie repeated, her body shaking with another sob. "You always have."   
  
Ethan stared at her for a moment, before answering softly, "I thought you hated me."   
  
"Because of the way you treat me…."   
  
"It's fun, that's all."   
  
Lizzie looked up at him, tears brimming her eyes. "You don't hate me?" She sniffled, biting her lip as she realized what she was saying. Jesus, she got sick and became an idiot, didn't she…talking to Ethan about why he hated her? Please…   
  
"No, Lizzie, not at all," Ethan reassured her, smiling when she scowled. "Really."   
  
"I always hoped that someday we'd get along," she whispered, her eyes closing as she began to grow sleepy.   
  
"We will, Lizzie," he told her softly. "We'll get along so well," he smirked, thankful her eyes weren't open to see his face. God, would they ever…   
  
"Good," she murmured, before falling asleep, her head resting peacefully on his chest.   
  
"Where's my girlfriend?" Gordo tore into the room a moment later, stopping dead in his tracks at the sight of her curled up in Ethan's arms. "What the fuck!"   
  
"She's sick, Gordo, really sick," Ethan said softly, slowly extricating himself from Lizzie, and getting up. "Get in," he waved to the bed. "I'll sleep out in the lounge, I don't think you should move her."   
  
Gordo looked at Ethan in surprise, before turning his attention back to Lizzie on the bed. "She's sick?"   
  
"Yeah, she is," Ethan replied. He watched Gordo crawl into bed next to Lizzie, wincing slightly at the thought of him sleeping with her in HIS bed. But…it would work well to get Lizzie to trust him, and that was what mattered. "Tell her she'll be all right, ok?"   
  
"She hates being sick," Gordo said softly, looking closely at his girlfriend's tear stained cheeks. "She was crying?"   
  
"Just upset," Ethan nodded. He turned to leave, stopping when Gordo called his name. "What?"   
  
"Here," Gordo threw his room key at Ethan. "No reason for that bed to go wasted."   
  
"Oh," Ethan caught the key, forcing a smile onto his face. Great. They'd sleep in his bed, and he'd sleep….alone…in theirs. Sick. "Thanks."   
  
"No, Ethan," Gordo smiled at him, well aware he'd messed up but good tonight. "Thank you."   
  
"I didn't do it for you, Gordo," Ethan looked at Lizzie, and sighed. "I did it for her."   
  
********************************************************************** 


	5. Chapter Three

Chapter Three   
  
Gordo spent the night holding Lizzie as she drifted in and out of a fitful sleep, and gently steering her to the garbage can Ethan had left next to the bed. He finally drifted off to sleep around 6am, only to be awakened when Lizzie got out of bed and stumbled into the bathroom. "Lizzie?" He followed her, frowning when she slammed the door in his face. "Lizzie, come back to bed, you're sick."   
  
"No shit, sherlock," she replied through the door.   
  
Gordo heard the sound of running water, and waited until his girlfriend emerged. "You need to stay in bed," he tried to slide an arm around her waist to help her walk, but she shoved him away. "Baby.."   
  
"Asshole," Lizzie muttered, shuffling back to the bed and crawling under the covers.   
  
"I'm sorry about last night, sweetie," Gordo said apologetically, sitting down next to her.   
  
"Sorry?" Lizzie looked at him, her eyes wide in astonishment. "You accuse your sick girlfriend of being drunk, and lock her out of her room and all you can say is SORRY? Fuck you," she hissed, rolling over onto her side and turning her back on him.   
  
"Lizzie, I was drunk…"   
  
"Yeah, and I wasn't," she interrupted angrily. "Ethan could see that, Gordo," she rolled over to look at him, her expression growing sad. "If Ethan could, why couldn't you?"   
  
"Ethan wasn't drunk?" Gordo offered.   
  
Lizzie snorted, and rolled her eyes. "Asshole."   
  
"We should go back to our room, I'm sure Ethan wants his back," Gordo suggested, rubbing her back.   
  
Lizzie shrugged him off, shaking her head stubbornly. "You go. I'll stay here."   
  
"But Ethan…."   
  
"Is a wonderful guy, Gordo," Lizzie said softly. "Maybe I'm just delirious or something because I'm sick, but you know what? Ethan was there for me last night, and you weren't. I think I'm going to stay right here and…" she groaned, and rolled over, sticking her head in the garbage can right as she threw up again.   
  
Gordo sighed, and brushed her hair down her back as she shuddered. "I guess you shouldn't go anywhere."   
  
"Whatever," Lizzie pushed him away, and snuggled up in the covers. "Tell Ethan thank you."   
  
"When?"   
  
"When you go tell him he can have his room back."   
  
"But you're here," Gordo frowned.   
  
"And you're leaving," Lizzie said evenly. "Goodbye, Gordo."   
  
"Lizzie, I…"   
  
"I'll talk to you about this when I can think straight, ok? Right now, I can't. All I know is that you were an asshole last night, and Ethan wasn't. So I'd like Ethan here," she replied, before yawning. "I'm gonna try to get some more sleep."   
  
Gordo's face fell, and he stood up, his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, baby," he said softly.   
  
"Goodbye, Gordo," she repeated without opening her eyes.   
  
"Bye, Lizzie," he sighed.   
  
Ethan grinned widely at the end of the conversation, hightailing it back to the other room so Gordo could "wake him up" and tell him to go back to his room. He hadn't intended to eavesdrop, really, he'd just woken up and wanted to go get some clean clothes. But, hell, when he'd heard them talking about him, how was he to resist? So…Lizzie liked him at the moment, did she?   
  
Good.   
  
Because he sure as hell liked Lizzie too.   
  
**************************************************************************   
  
Lizzie woke up a few hours later, sweating from head to toe, and burning up under the pile of blankets she'd burrowed under. She lay on her back with her eyes closed for a moment, waiting for the churning in her stomach to force her out of bed. When it didn't, she slowly opened her eyes, finding Ethan asleep in a chair across the room. "Don't you have to work today?" She asked softly, smiling lightly when he woke up with a start. "No?"   
  
"No," Ethan yawned and stretched in the chair, groaning as his sore muscles protested the movement. "Nothing until Monday afternoon. That's why we had the party last night, remember?"   
  
"Oh," she kicked the covers off of her, and lay sprawled out on her back, relishing the feeling of cool air on her skin. "God I'm hot."   
  
Ethan's mouth dropped open at the sight of her, the silk shirt that had been merely clingy the night before now sticking to her sweaty skin. He bit his lip as his eyes trailed over her body, noting the way sweat pooled between her breasts, and at the hollow of her neck. What he wouldn't give to just lick… He cleared his throat and shifted in the chair, hoping to hide what was soon to become pretty clear evidence of where his eyes had gone. "Want something else to wear?"   
  
"I think I need a shower," Lizzie remarked, raising her arms above her head and stretching. "I'm all sticky," she groaned when her stomach cramped up, and frowned. "Although I don't know if I can stand upright for that long."   
  
"I have t-shirts and stuff," Ethan said helpfully, standing up to dig through a bag in the corner. "Want?"   
  
"I think, as much as I'd rather not," Lizzie sighed. "I need my boyfriend."   
  
Ethan nodded, putting the t-shirt in his hand back in his bag. "Want me to go get him?"   
  
"Yeah," Lizzie said, before sitting up, "wait, Ethan?"   
  
Ethan turned around to look at her curiously. "Yeah?"   
  
"I just wanted to say thank you," she said softly. "You didn't have to be as nice as you were to me last night, or this morning…I kind of hijacked your room from you."   
  
"You were sick," Ethan shrugged. "You ARE sick. I couldn't just leave you out there."   
  
"My boyfriend seemed more than willing to do just that," Lizzie said wryly. "And I'm sorry for that too, you don't belong in the middle of my fights with Gordo."   
  
"That's ok," Ethan grinned. "Nobody knows Gordo the asshole better than me."   
  
Lizzie started laughing, before groaning and rolling over onto her side. "Laughing hurts, dammit."   
  
"I'll go get Gordo," Ethan smiled, and left the room.   
  
"Tell him his girlfriend needs a shower, and if he doesn't come and give it to me, I'm gonna ask you to do it," Lizzie called after him with a small laugh. Well, if that wouldn't get Gordo to help her, she figured, nothing would. Dammit, she pulled the sweaty silk away from her skin with a disgusted frown. She'd ruined her shirt, and one way or another, she was gonna get a shower.   
  
Lizzie looked up with a grin when Gordo came charging into the room a few minutes later. "Hey Gordo."   
  
"What's this I hear about Ethan giving you a shower?" Gordo scowled at her.   
  
"No, I said, if you didn't, I would ASK Ethan to," Lizzie corrected. She raised her arms to Gordo, smiling when he obediently picked her up. "Go slow, the room's still spinning," she said softly, resting her head on his chest.   
  
Gordo carried her out of the room, nodding his thanks to Ethan as the door closed behind him. "Lizzie, I am sorry…"   
  
"I know," she replied, smiling at the security and warmth she always felt in his arms.   
  
"I love you…"   
  
"I know," Lizzie said again, looking up at him. "You're just an asshole sometimes, you know that?"   
  
Gordo sighed, and carried her into the bathroom, setting her down on the closed toilet bowl. "Don't fall over, ok?"   
  
"Just get me clean, ok?" She shot back, staring down at the floor as she fought her dizzyness. "I'm all icky."   
  
"Baby, I'll take a shower with you anytime," Gordo said seductively as he turned on the water.   
  
Lizzie looked at him, tears filling her eyes. She loved him so much…asshole and all. "I love you, Gordo."   
  
Gordo looked back at her, and smiled. Imitating her tone, he said sincerely, "yeah, I know."   
  
*******************************************************************   
  
"Gordo?" Lizzie closed the door to the hotel room behind her, and leaned up against the back, looking slyly at her boyfriend.   
  
"What a day, huh?" Gordo yawned as he walked through the large suite, pulling off his shirt and tossing it on to a chair. "You were so sick, and it's like THIS your first day back?"   
  
"I'm fine," she replied, following him into the bedroom, her shirt joining his on the chair. "It's been a few days, really, I'm fine."   
  
"Yeah, but those questions the teacher was firing at us?" Gordo sat down on the bed and began unbuckling his pants, shaking his head. "I saw you steaming."   
  
"That was then," Lizzie grinned, and sat down on Gordo's lap, grabbing his hands tight in hers. "This is now," she said, before bringing her lips down on his, kissing him deeply.   
  
"Lizzie, god, not tonight," Gordo groaned, pulling his head away with a frown.   
  
"Christ, why not," she breathed, grinding down onto him. "Gordo…"   
  
"What the hell has gotten into you?" Gordo pushed Lizzie off of him, his eyes narrowing when he looked her over. "You're still sick, aren't you," he accused.   
  
Lizzie glared at him for a moment, before getting up and yanking her skirt down from where it had ridden up to her hips. "I'm not sick, jesus," she said angrily, quickly locating a nightshirt and pulling it on. "I just wanted to make love to my boyfriend, is that so terrible?"   
  
"Baby," Gordo became instantly apologetic, getting up and sliding his hands over her waist, pulling her to him. "I'm just not really in the mood tonight, not after the day we've had."   
  
Lizzie looked up at him, her face flushed, her breath heavy. "That's the difference between you and me, I guess."   
  
"What?"   
  
"I'm so in the mood tonight, because of the day we've had," she said seductively, reaching around and running her hands over her rear. "Doesn't it get you all worked up, Gordo? Don't you just want to work off all that frustration?"   
  
"Sleep. I want to sleep," Gordo said flatly, pulling away from her and walking into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.   
  
"Sleep. I want to sleep," she mimicked, rolling her eyes. Great. Now she was totally excited, far from tired, and all Gordo wanted to do was go to sleep. "Fine, fine, sleep," she grumbled, pulling off her skirt and carefully hanging it up in the closet. After Gordo finished in the bathroom, she took her turn, emerging to find the lights off, and her boyfriend sound asleep.   
  
"Well, isn't this cute," she whispered, rolling her eyes. She didn't feel like lying down and sleeping now, she felt like…like…doing something. To work off her excess energy.   
  
Biting her lip, Lizzie returned to her bag, digging around in the dark and finding a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Work off..work out..same difference. She'd go run a few miles on the treadmill, take her mind off of what she really wanted.   
  
So so she hoped.   
  
*****************************************************************   
  
Lizzie really had intended on heading for the workout room, but she'd passed the pool on the way and decided a swim was really a better idea. One big cold shower, exactly what she needed. Thirty laps later, and she was breathing heavily at the shallow end of the pool, looking around the empty space, realizing what she'd done. Skinny dipping in the hotel pool in the middle of the night? Not too smart.   
  
She quickly got out of the pool and ran for the stack of towels, grabbing one and wrapping it around her body. "I can see it now, getting busted by the principal, skinny dipping on a school trip. And then him telling my parents."   
  
"How about Lizzie McGuire caught talking to herself, seeks mental help?"   
  
Lizzie whirled around at the sound of the voice, nearly dropping the towel from shock. "What?"   
  
"Taking a swim?" Ethan asked smugly, his eyes trailing over her body pointedly.   
  
"I was, yes," she replied evenly, clutching the towel tight around her body. "Dammit, Ethan, you scared me," she frowned, pressing a hand to her chest and feeling her heart pound.   
  
"You were the one talking to yourself," he shrugged, pulling his shirt over his head and throwing it onto the ground. "And I'm wearing a bathing suit," he smirked, gesturing to his suit. "You?"   
  
Lizzie scowled, walking past him to her clothes in a pile on the ground where she'd left them.   
  
"Right, you're wearing a towel."   
  
"I felt like taking a swim," she said as she picked up her clothes, refusing to look at Ethan.   
  
Ethan grinned and tilted his head as she bent over…bingo! He KNEW she had an amazing ass, why the hell did she hide it in the clothes she wore? He straighened as she stood up, the grin still plastered on his face. She might as well drop the towel, it wasn't like it was hiding anything. "Naked?" He couldn't help but ask, loving her flustered reaction.   
  
"I thought I was going to work out."   
  
"Alone?"   
  
"Aren't you?"   
  
"I'm not taken," Ethan shot back.   
  
That did get Lizzie to look at him, her eyes narrowing angrily. "He's sleeping."   
  
"I repeat. Alone?"   
  
"Since I'm here? Yes."   
  
Ethan just continued to look at her, his eyes twinkling, "why?"   
  
"Why what?" Lizzie knew full well what he was asking, but had absolutely no desire to answer his question. "I should head upstairs…"   
  
"Why," the corners of Ethan's lips turned up in a grin, as his eyes ran over her body again. "Are you here, swimming alone…naked?"   
  
"I felt like it," she replied bluntly, pulling the towel tighter around herself.   
  
"And Gordo didn't mind?"   
  
Lizzie just shrugged.   
  
"Or Gordo didn't know?"   
  
"I told you, Gordo's asleep. Not to mention, I'm a grown woman, I have every right to do what I want to do."   
  
"Trouble in paradise?" Ethan asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.   
  
"Fuck you."   
  
Ethan let out an exaggerated sigh, "fine, I'm going to take a swim anyway." Making sure her eyes were on him, he dropped his bathing suit to the floor, kicking it away with a small laugh. "You had a good idea there."   
  
Lizzie's eyes widened involuntarily at the sight of Ethan standing completely naked in front of her, and she blushed when she realized where her eyes had gone. Dear god… "Have fun," she stammered, turning around to leave.   
  
"Wait, Lizzie?" Ethan called after her, standing with a hand on his hips.   
  
"Yeah?" Lizzie refused to turn back around, but she stopped walking, waiting for him to reply.   
  
"Sure you don't want to join me?" He asked coyly. "I'm sure you saw, I got something of a problem here…"   
  
Lizzie wasn't sure why she didn't just run out of there, it was as if her legs were frozen in place. Well, she was fighting an urge not to turn around and look at that problem again, she hadn't really looked at it all that closely before.   
  
"Not everyday a man runs into a beautiful woman walking around pretty much naked, you know? You got me all worked up," Ethan's voice dropped an octave, and he took a step towards her. "Tell me, Lizzie, did seeing me naked do the same to you?"   
  
"No," Lizzie snapped, leaving the pool before she lost the will to. She heard a splash behind her, and shook her head, heading back to her room…and her boyfriend.   
  
Damn that Ethan Craft, she thought as she waited for the elevator. He always knew just how to get to her, didn't he. She'd spent an hour swimming laps to cool herself off, and then he goes and does…THAT?! "Asshole," she muttered when the elevator came, impatiently pounding the button for her floor. A small smile crept over her face as she remembered what she'd seen, and she smirked as the doors closed. "What a beautiful asshole, but jesus...." She sighed, and wondered if she should wake up Gordo. She really REALLY needed to work this off…   
  
Asshole. 


	6. Chapter Four

Chapter Four   
  
Ethan overslept the next morning, running into the lounge an hour late for breakfast. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw the room nearly empty, and scowled, trying to figure out what to do.   
  
"Hey," Gordo's soft voice called to him from a couch in the corner.   
  
Ethan's head spun around until he located Gordo, his eyes widening when he saw Lizzie curled up in Gordo's arms, asleep. "Hey."   
  
"Keep your voice down, she's asleep," Gordo said with a small smile. "She couldn't sleep last night, she's pretty exhausted."   
  
"Oh," was all Ethan could say in reply. He couldn't take his eyes off of Lizzie, her silk stocking encased legs stretched out on the couch, her head resting on Gordo's chest, one arm casually slung around his waist. Something was gnawing at him about the sight before him, and he didn't know exactly what it was…   
  
"You're lucky she's a mess this morning, or else she would have given you shit for oversleeping, you know," Gordo continued, gently pushing Lizzie up off of his body so he could stand up. He delicately laid his girlfriend back down on the couch, before running a hand through his hair and turning to Ethan. "But for some strange reason she said to let you sleep. I gotta go do an interview now, but you're clear for another hour."   
  
"Oh," Ethan said again.   
  
"Would you mind staying here with her? Breakfast's over there," Gordo waved to a spread set up in another corner of the room. "I don't want to leave her here all alone, but I really do have to go."   
  
Ethan shrugged, and trudged over to the table, pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Sure. I got nothing better to do."   
  
"Thanks." Gordo bent down and kissed Lizzie's forehead, before leaving the room, reminding Ethan again to keep quiet so she could sleep.   
  
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Ethan grumbled, examining the hotel's offerings for breakfast. He settled on a bowl of cereal and sat down in a chair across from Lizzie, watching her sleep as he ate.   
  
So she couldn't sleep, huh? At least that made two of them….once she'd left him alone in the pool he'd swam laps until he'd felt like his arms and legs were going to fall off, but the physical exhaustion had done nothing to settle the stirrings in his mind. Or those somewhere else…   
  
How could Gordo just let her go last night? Go to sleep while his girlfriend went to swim in the pool, alone…naked. If she was Ethan's girlfriend, well…   
  
Ethan smirked, and nodded, knowing what he'd do. He'd have been swimming with her, of course. Although, privacy would have been a good idea, he had a feeling if he'd actually seen Lizzie in the pool he would have been a total wreck, instead of just the overstimulated mess he had been with the small peek he'd gotten.   
  
He'd get her though, get to see all of her. That was becoming more and more clear with every passing day. Lizzie was having problems with Gordo, even if Gordo didn't seem to quite realize it. All he had to do was keep pushing the right buttons, and Lizzie would fall into his arms, ready, and willing. He had a strange feeling if he'd pushed Lizzie a little harder the night before, he could have possibly had her then.   
  
What had she called herself? Frustrated. Just a nice word for horny. Ethan shook his head sadly. His girlfriend would never, EVER go horny. He'd make sure of that. Why couldn't Gordo see?   
  
It certainly made the Game a little more complicated too. Ethan didn't want Lizzie sleeping with him just because she was horny, and Gordo wouldn't put out. Lizzie had to be with him because Lizzie wanted to be with HIM. Those were the rules.   
  
Ethan finished off his cereal and got up, placing the empty bowl on a table nearby. He turned around when he heard a soft moan behind him, and smiled, seeing Lizzie stretching on the couch. "You awake?"   
  
"Getting there," Lizzie's voice cracked from her sleep as she spoke, and she looked at Ethan, smiling weakly. "Where'd my boyfriend go? I seem to recall falling asleep on him…"   
  
"He had to go do another science competition, so he asked me to keep you company." Ethan waved to the table next to him, "want some coffee?"   
  
"Please," Lizzie sat up and yawned, shaking her head to clear it. "I hate when I'm like this, I can't sleep for shit at night, but as soon as 9 am rolls around I'm out like a baby."   
  
"Insomnia sucks," Ethan agreed, walking to her and handing her the coffee cup. "It's hot," he warned, laughing when she stubbornly took a sip just the same. "I told you…"   
  
"I need it more than I need feeling in my tongue," Lizzie replied, taking another deep sip of the coffee.   
  
Ethan grinned, and sat down, shaking his head. "I could say something about having feeling in your tongue being a very good thing…"   
  
"For you, maybe," Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Not for me."   
  
"Gordo might argue otherwise."   
  
Lizzie snorted, "yeah, right."   
  
Ethan raised an eyebrow, "are you ok?"   
  
She sighed, and shrugged. "I'll be fine, it's not really something I should get into with you."   
  
"Lizzie," Ethan reached out and rested a hand on her knee, watching as her eyes locked onto his hand. "I may be blonde, but I didn't buy your story last night about just wanting to go swimming alone in the middle of the night. I shouldn't have done what I did, but…you clearly needed a smile."   
  
Lizzie laughed, "and you thought dropping your suit would give me a smile?"   
  
"Didn't it?" Ethan challenged. He grinned when she blushed, "I'm not so bad to look at, am I."   
  
"So modest, too."   
  
"All I'm trying to say is," Ethan squeezed her knee gently, noting how her breath caught in her throat as he did. "If you need someone to talk to, I'm here. The last person in the world I'd ever go spilling secrets to would be Gordo, so your story would always be safe with me."   
  
Lizzie smiled, and covered Ethan's hand with her own for a moment, before pulling it off of her knee. "Thanks, Ethan, but I'm fine." She could tell something was clearly wrong in her relationship with Gordo, but she didn't know what it was, and telling, of all people, Ethan about it, was very much out of the question.   
  
"You know I don't believe you."   
  
"You know I don't care what you think," Lizzie shot back.   
  
"True," Ethan conceded.   
  
"Blondie, don't you have a competition to get ready for?" Lizzie asked pointedly, taking another gulp of her coffee.   
  
Ethan groaned, and stood up. "Yes, I guess I do."   
  
"So go," she said firmly, waving towards the door. "It's the next room over," she told him, sounding like the Lizzie he was more used to seeing, not the sweet and gentle one he was starting to see peeking out from behind the toughness.   
  
"I think I like you better when you're half asleep," Ethan muttered, putting on his best pout for her.   
  
"I think I like you best when your mouth is shut," she replied. "Go."   
  
"Mouth shut, or naked?" Ethan asked with a smirk.   
  
"I really hope you don't make a habit of dropping your pants around hotel pools," Lizzie said, rolling her eyes. "I mean, anyone could have walked in there last night."   
  
"Hey, you did it first," Ethan reminded her.   
  
"I'm not the teen queen."   
  
"I'm not a queen," Ethan argued.   
  
Lizzie snorted, and stood up, stretching. "What did that football player call you yesterday, the flamboyantly gay one?"   
  
"I'm not gay!"   
  
Lizzie looked at him with one eyebrow raised. "Ok, Ethan, you keep telling yourself that."   
  
"Now you're just playing dirty," Ethan said, his eyes narrowing as he glared at her. "You know full well I'm not."   
  
"I know what I tell the girls in gym, that's all."   
  
"Lizzie!"   
  
"Get your ass into competition, would you?" She poured herself another cup of coffee, groaning when she turned around to find him still in the room. "Ethan."   
  
"I'm not gay," Ethan repeated.   
  
"Fine."   
  
"You just like pissing me off."   
  
"Oh, and you don't like doing the same to me?" Lizzie asked him evenly. "Need I remind you what you did last night?"   
  
"I didn't do that to piss you off," Ethan frowned, biting his lip when she continued to look at him with an eyebrow raised. "I didn't! I told you, you needed to smile…"   
  
"Competition," Lizzie said firmly, effectively ending the conversation there. "Now."   
  
"Anytime you need a smile…"   
  
"COMPETITION!" She shouted, glaring at him. "Get your overgrown teen dream body in that makeup chair right now, or else you're competing with, with, oh I don't know, RuPaul tomorrow."   
  
Ethan started laughing, and threw his arms up in defeat. "Fine."   
  
Lizzie watched him walk out, a small smile on her face. "Hey, and Ethan?"   
  
"Yeah?"   
  
She sighed, and rolled her eyes as she admitted softly, "thanks." He'd at least noticed something was wrong, which was more than she could say for her boyfriend. He deserved a thank you for that.   
  
Ethan grinned widely, and nodded. "Anytime."   
  
************************************************************************   
  
Lizzie examined herself in the bathroom mirror skeptically. Ever since her conversation with Ethan a week ago, she'd become increasingly aware of the degradation of her relationship with her boyfriend, and was more determined than ever to make things right. Which was why she was now wearing a blue silk teddy, and fixing her makeup, before going to bed.   
  
Gordo kept swearing everything was fine with them, that he was just tired, busy, whatever. But Lizzie just couldn't believe him, not when nighttime came and he was asleep, every night, before the lights were out.   
  
Was she being silly, for feeling like the lack of sex in their relationship was a sign of something more? They did still talk like they used to, maybe not as long, and the conversations were strangely superficial, but…at least they were talking. Gordo was as affectionate to her as always during the day, always holding her hand, kissing her as the dutiful boyfriend should, hugging her and calming her down when she got too worked up over something or another. It was just at night, when nobody else was around, that she felt like her boyfriend had become nothing more than a roommate. She needed the physical confirmation of his love for her desperately…words just weren't cutting it anymore.   
  
Not when it had been nearly a month since they'd been together.   
  
She also couldn't help but wonder…Gordo used to, anyway, love to joke about his sexual prowess. About how he could go on for hours and hours (which he could), and how he could never get enough of her, that he needed sex as much as he needed to breathe. When they were dating, and in the early months of their relationship, they would be driving each other wild, escaping in the middle of the day for a quick passionate encounter, followed up by hours of slow, romantic lovemaking at night. The few times they'd been separated for any period of time he'd returned in a near carnal state, spending days in bed to make up for the time they'd been apart. And the longest they'd ever been apart had been two weeks, at the most. What had happened? Was he just not feeling sexual anymore?   
  
Or was he just not feeling sexual towards HER.   
  
And if that was it, then, was he getting what he had said he needed so badly somewhere else?   
  
She knew that she was incredibly oversensitized, anyway. The main reason she needed to make love to her boyfriend was to convince herself that their relationship was still stable, but she couldn't ignore the underlying hormones raging through her body. She was just really goddamn horny, on a very primal level, and sleeping in the same bed as Gordo every night without being with him was only making it worse.   
  
Lizzie ran her hands through her hair and smiled at herself in the mirror, hoping the smile was able to hide the fear she was feeling inside. This was nuts, the way she was feeling, this desperate need to seduce her own boyfriend.   
  
She just hoped it worked.   
  
Adjusting the thin straps of the teddy on her shoulders, Lizzie opened the door to the bathroom and walked out, smiling seductively at Gordo lying in bed. "Hey baby."   
  
Gordo's eyes widened when he saw Lizzie, and he sat up in surprise. "Lizzie?"   
  
"I went shopping today," she said coyly, spinning around in a slow circle to show off her purchase. The blue silk teddy was nearly backless, the fitted bodice giving way to a flared skirt that ended just at the top of her thighs, showing off her long legs.   
  
Gordo gulped before replying, "so I see."   
  
"You like?" Lizzie asked softly, one thumb hooking under a strap and pulling on it teasingly.   
  
"God, do I," he breathed, running a hand through his hair.   
  
"Good," she crawled onto the bed, slithering up his body until she was lying on top of him. "I bought it for you," she whispered, before kissing him passionately, frowning when she felt his hands slide around her waist and push her away.   
  
"Lizzie…"   
  
Lizzie sat up and looked down at him, fighting the need to burst into tears. "What?" She said softly, struggling to keep an even expression on her face.   
  
"You look stunning, baby, but god, I'm so tired," Gordo said apologetically, as he slid a hand over. "Maybe another night?"   
  
"Another night," she repeated in disbelief.   
  
"I need to get some sleep, you know how brutal our competition schedule has been."   
  
"Right," Lizzie scrambled off the bed, her face flushing as emotions swept over her. Humiliation, disappointment, frustration…she didn't know what to feel, beyond stunned that she'd been turned down. Again.   
  
"Come on," Gordo pulled the covers back and gestured for her to join him. "Sleep with me."   
  
Lizzie shook her head slowly, looking around the room and locating a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. "I'm not tired," she said as she pulled them on over the teddy, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of the silk bunching up around her waist.   
  
"So where are you going?"   
  
"I don't know. Out," she said quickly, grabbing her room key. "I'm sure you'll be asleep by the time I get back."   
  
"I love you."   
  
Lizzie fought back a sob at his soft words, "right."   
  
"Come back soon."   
  
"Good night, Gordo," she replied, turning out the light as she left the room.   
  
Lizzie made it out of the door before her sobs overtook her, and she doubled over in the hallway, shuddering with the force of her tears. She just couldn't believe what had happened, how could he not realize how much she needed him…how could he not need her??   
  
"What's wrong with us, Gordo?" She whispered, standing up straight and wiping her tears off of her face. She had to find someplace to think. She had to find the answer to that question.   
  
Somehow. 


	7. Chapter Five

Chapter Five   
  
Ethan couldn't sleep. Again.   
  
That was the one big problem with making Lizzie the target for the Game, he was discovering…the lack of sex made it increasingly difficult for him to fall asleep at night. He couldn't remember the last time in his life he'd been this…frustrated…this hopelessly excited, and taking care of himself just wasn't working like it had when he was younger.   
  
Well, hell, he was 17 years old. He was SUPPOSED to be horny all the time, wasn't he? And as much as he knew that he could walk down the school hallway every day and have his choice of women ready and willing, he wouldn't do that. Rules were rules, and he was sticking to them.   
  
The next woman he would be with would be Lizzie McGuire.   
  
He was making progress with Lizzie, finding more and more time alone with her, always offering himself up as a friendly shoulder to cry on. As of yet, she hadn't really taken advantage of that, but one day she would, he knew it. She was definitely softening towards him, she'd even apologized for calling him gay, which he found absolutely hysterical. Lizzie apologized. To HIM. Pretty amazing, right?   
  
Ethan's ears perked up at the sound of a soft sniffle in the hallway, and he sat up, listening intently. He'd been making a regular habit of walking around the hotel late at night, hoping to catch Lizzie out and about again, but it hadn't happened since that night at the hotel pool. Maybe his luck was about to change?   
  
He waited a few minutes, only hearing silence, before deciding he might as well go out and see if anything was going on. He threw a t-shirt on over his boxers, and grabbed his room key, stepping out into the hallway.   
  
Ethan looked up and down the hallway, his gaze falling on the balcony at one end of the hall. He'd been out there earlier, staring out at the view over the city. It was a beautiful night, and he loved looking up at the stars. Maybe someone else did too?   
  
He heard a sob, followed by the same sniffle he'd heard before, and nodded slowly. Yup, definitely someone else did. As much as he wanted to see Lizzie tonight, he couldn't help but hope that it wasn't her out there crying….he didn't want her to be upset. He wanted her to be happy, always, the smartass woman that never hesitated to give him some lip. Not sad, not sick…she deserved to be happy.   
  
He walked down the hallway and stepped outside, his face falling when he saw Lizzie curled up on the bench, her head in her hands, crying her eyes out. He stood there for a moment, waiting for her to notice him, but she was lost in her own world. He finally said her name softly, smiling apologetically when she jumped. "What's wrong?"   
  
Lizzie sniffled and shook her head, wiping her eyes. "Nothing."   
  
Ethan chuckled softly and sat down next to her, sliding an arm over her shoulders. "I keep telling you I'm not that blonde."   
  
"Don't, Ethan, please," Lizzie said weakly, trying to push him away. "Just go." She didn't want to be consoled, not tonight. She just wanted to be left alone to cry, and wallow in some self-pity for once.   
  
"I can't leave you out here like this, nope," he replied, refusing to let her go. "What happened?"   
  
Lizzie hiccupped through her tears, and snorted, "nothing."   
  
"Lizzie," Ethan said in frustration. "I told you…"   
  
"Really, Ethan, nothing happened," she sniffled and let him pull her into his chest, shuddering from the warmth of his embrace. Why did it feel like it had been forever since a guy had held her like this… "That's the whole problem."   
  
"What'd Gordo do?" Ethan asked softly, pushing her hair away from her face.   
  
Lizzie looked up at him, unable to stop herself from tilting her head into his hand. "As I said, nothing," she said softly.   
  
Ethan's breath left his lungs as her eyes met his, his heart pounding in his chest. Dear god, she was beautiful. Even with her face splotchy from her crying, and her brown eyes turning red from her tears, she was absolutely stunning. His body was reacting to her in a way he'd never felt before, every single muscle tightening, his entire being screaming to be with her. "You'll feel better if you talk about it," he finally found his voice, wincing when it cracked.   
  
"I don't think so," she replied, sighing when he shifted her so he could slide his other arm around her waist. "Ethan…"   
  
"You shouldn't be alone out here," Ethan said firmly, tightening his arms around her. "Even if you don't want to talk, just let me stay here with you, ok?"   
  
Lizzie began to cry again, and she buried her head in his chest, nodding slowly. "Thank you," she murmured. She didn't deserve this, Ethan being so sweet to her…why was he doing this?   
  
Ethan didn't reply, he just looked down at her, smiling lightly when he felt her tears seep through his t-shirt. He held her in silence for a while, Lizzie's face pressed tightly against his chest, his eyes trailing from the beauty of the stars above to the beauty in his arms. Was it possible for Lizzie to outshine the stars, he wondered? It sure seemed to him like she did….   
  
"Am I attractive?"   
  
Ethan's heart stopped beating at the solemn question, and his body tensed as he looked down at Lizzie curiously. "What?"   
  
Lizzie sat up, one hand running along Ethan's arm absentmindedly. "Do you think I'm attractive?" She asked again, the expression on her face one of complete sorrow.   
  
Ethan's eyes widened in surprise, and he nodded firmly. "Lizzie, you're beautiful," he said seriously.   
  
She sighed, and looked up at the stars, "sure I am."   
  
"I wouldn't lie to you," he replied, feeling a pang of guilt at his words. Not about THAT, anyway…   
  
"I shouldn't have asked, forget it," Lizzie ran a hand through her hair, and frowned. "Stupid question."   
  
"Lizzie," Ethan put a finger under her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You are incredibly beautiful, and sexy, and Gordo is a goddamn fool for messing things up with you badly enough that you're out here asking ME that question."   
  
Lizzie's lower lip trembled, and she looked away from Ethan, "you're just saying that to make me feel better."   
  
"Trust me, Lizzie, I would gladly show you how much I meant that…" Ethan's words trailed off as he realized what he was saying, and he dropped his hand, smiling meekly. "You know what I mean."   
  
"Really?" Lizzie asked softly, still unable to look at Ethan as she spoke. "You really would? Me?"   
  
"God yes," Ethan whispered, staring at her with his eyes wide. Was this it? His chance to win the Game? She was asking…but she wasn't asking because she wanted him, she was asking because Gordo had done something. His heart pounded in his chest as he considered kissing her, the mere thought of his lips touching hers sending shivers down his spine. Actually kissing her would be an experience he would never forget, he was sure of that.   
  
Lizzie stared into space for a few minutes as Ethan contemplated his options, before she looked at him, her eyes wide. "If I ask you something, will you tell me the truth?"   
  
"I told you I'd never lie to you," Ethan replied solemnly. "I meant that." Sort of.   
  
"I mean, I think you're actually a good guy under all of that bravado shit you put on, and I really need an honest answer," Lizzie said, looking into his eyes. "Please?"   
  
"Sure."   
  
"Is Gordo having cheating on me?"   
  
Ethan's eyes widened at the question, and he shook his head quickly, "no!"   
  
Lizzie bit her lip hard as new tears filled her eyes, and she bowed her head, "shit."   
  
"Why do you think, jesus, Lizzie," Ethan stammered, looking at her in surprise. "Gordo would be an idiot to fuck things up with you like that."   
  
"I almost wish he was," Lizzie said sadly. "At least then there'd be a reason…"   
  
"Reason for what?"   
  
"You've been in relationships that have gone bad before, right?"   
  
Ethan nodded slowly, "sure."   
  
"Why is it that you never notice that things are going wrong, until it's gone bad? Like, you never notice the little things, until you're looking back over months and wondering…how the hell did we get here?" Lizzie looked at him, and sighed. "That probably didn't make any sense."   
  
"No, it did," Ethan said softly. "One day you just wake up and wonder, what in the world went wrong."   
  
"Exactly," Lizzie nodded. "The not knowing is awful."   
  
"Yeah," Ethan agreed. "You wonder if it's you, or them, or…"   
  
Lizzie smiled weakly, "you do understand."   
  
"Yup," Ethan ran his hand through Lizzie's hair, smoothing it down her back. "But you and Gordo are engaged, it's different than me and my stupid ex."   
  
"Just because I'm wearing his ring doesn't mean things can't go wrong."   
  
"I guess."   
  
"I think, it seems like, I mean," Lizzie was stopped by a sob, and she let Ethan pull her in for another tight hug as she cried. "He doesn't want me anymore," she choked out.   
  
Ethan was thankful Lizzie was too consumed by her tears to notice the horror on his face at her words. What the fuck was Gordo doing to her?? She deserved so much better, jesus christ, hell, if Gordo didn't want her, Ethan sure as hell did. "Why do you say that?" He asked the obvious question, struggling to keep his raging emotions out of his voice.   
  
"He won't touch me, not at all," Lizzie confessed in a shaky voice, now that she'd started talking to Ethan, everything was just spilling out. "He always says he's too tired, he needs to sleep, but, goddammit, I need him!"   
  
"Maybe he's just tired?" Ethan offered.   
  
"But, but," Lizzie shook her head as she cried. "He's a man! I mean, I thought guys never turn down women like this, not when they try this hard…" she wiped her nose on her hand, and bit her lip. "Totally humiliating, to just be turned down flat, by my own fiance."   
  
"That's what he did?"   
  
Lizzie nodded, and sat up, her hands playing with the bottom of her sweatshirt. "I got this," she lifted up the sweatshirt, revealing the blue silk teddy underneath. She watched Ethan's face carefully as he looked her over, smiling lightly when his eyes widened appreciatively. "So you like it?"   
  
Ethan's hands clenched into tight fists, and he bit his lip hard before replying, "yes." HELL yes, it was taking all of his strength not to throw her down and show her just how much he liked it.   
  
"Gordo said he did too," Lizzie dropped the sweatshirt, and sighed. "Apparently he just didn't like it enough."   
  
"I don't know what to say, Lizzie, maybe he really was just tired," Ethan said, shifting uncomfortably on the bench. He looked up at the sky, wishing with all of his heart that he wasn't so determined to play the Game right. Goddamn, he'd never wanted a woman as much as he wanted Lizzie at that exact moment. She was in desperate need of affection, she was wearing…god…THAT…she was in his arms, and he wasn't going to do a thing because of his stupid rules.   
  
"Once upon a time, Gordo was more than willing to forgo sleep to be with me," Lizzie said sadly, not noticing Ethan's discomfort.   
  
"This is our senior year, it's been really stressful on us all…"   
  
"He's been keeping this kind of schedule before, with less sleep."   
  
"He's really tired?" Ethan said weakly.   
  
"Right," Lizzie frowned, and ran a hand through her hair. "Really damn tired."   
  
"I don't know what to say, Lizzie," Ethan looked into her eyes, and smiled at her. "I can't imagine not wanting to be with you every minute of every day, so I don't know what's going through Gordo's head. All I can think is that he must have a reason for it, and maybe it really is just that he's tired?"   
  
A corner of Lizzie's lips curled up into a small smile, "every minute of every day, huh?"   
  
"Oh, baby, I'd make love to you until you couldn't see straight," Ethan said with a grin. "Non stop, I swear."   
  
"You'd get sick of me too, I bet."   
  
"Never," Ethan replied honestly. "Especially if you keep wearing stuff like that blue thing," he waggled his eyebrows at her and winked.   
  
That got Lizzie laughing, and she blushed. "Thanks."   
  
"Maybe you should just talk to Gordo?"   
  
Lizzie nodded slowly, her expression growing sad again. "I have to, yeah."   
  
"But keep smiling," Ethan said, tilting his head to look her in the eyes. "You have the most amazing smile I've ever seen."   
  
"I don't much feel like smiling," Lizzie said softly.   
  
"Want me to drop my pants, then?" Ethan offered, grinning. "After all, you pulled up your shirt."   
  
"No, no, no," Lizzie said quickly, shaking her head as she laughed. "I swear I don't need to see that again."   
  
"Well, hell, now I'm insulted," Ethan said, putting on his best pout. "Should I be asking you if I'm attractive, now? I mean, you've seen it all, right?"   
  
"Ethan," Lizzie ran her hand along the side of his face, and smiled. "You are extremely attractive, and a wonderful friend," she said sincerely, before kissing his cheek. "Thank you for being here tonight." She stood up and stretched, not noticing the dark flush that creeped across Ethan's face from the quick kiss. "I'm going to try to get some sleep."   
  
"Good night, Lizzie," Ethan said, watching her leave. He touched the side of his cheek, his entire face feeling like it was on fire from the soft touch of her lips. Goddamn his stupid Game…he could have HAD her, that was pretty damn apparent.   
  
He would, in time, he would.   
  
Until then…he smiled as he relived the feeling of her lips pressed against his skin. She'd kissed his cheek. It was a start.   
  
*************************************************************************** 


	8. Chapter Six

Chapter Six   
  
The next day passed excruciatingly slow for Lizzie, as she waited for night time to roll around and a chance to be alone with her boyfriend. The group was going to another stupid Science Olympiad gathering, this one a formal, in the evening, but there was no competition, and a good 3 hours for them to go back to their rooms and relax before the event. Lizzie was determined to confront Gordo then, and figure out what the hell was going on.   
  
Her plans fell by the wayside, however, when Gordo was held up late at an honors meeting, finally returning to their room a scant hour before they were supposed to appear at the meeting. "Hey," Lizzie smiled at Gordo when he finally walked into the room, putting the hairspray bottle in her hand down on the table. She stood expectantly in her formal gown as he looked at her, waiting, hoping he would make some sort of comment.   
  
"Hi," he walked to her and kissed her forehead, before turning away and pulling off his shirt. "I need to take a shower and get dressed, I'm running late."   
  
Lizzie's heart sank, as she sighed, "yeah, you are." Fine. Don't notice. She thought she looked DAMN good, but evidently not good enough. She watched him disappear into the bathroom and sank down into a chair, smoothing out the satin of her dress around her legs. This dress was the best one she had, so she thought, a sheath of nearly skin tight green satin with a long slit up one side. The sort of dress that short girls could never wear, she thought to herself, carefully arranging the fabric around her legs. The v-neck of the dress was just deep enough to show the beginnings of her cleavage, and was only accentuated by the emerald and diamond necklace she wore.   
  
"Dammit," she muttered, her hand clasping around the necklace. He hadn't even noticed she was wearing it. He'd given it to her for their first anniversary as a couple, emeralds and diamonds in a small heart. Once upon a time, he would always comment when she wore it. Not now, though.   
  
Sighing heavily, she put on a pair of matching diamond earrings, before examining herself in the mirror. What more could she possibly do? Her hair was swept up high on her head, her makeup suitably dramatic, and the color of the dress was one that she thought, anyway, looked really good on her, making her eyes appear more hazel than their normal brown. She turned around as Gordo emerged from the bathroom behind her, watching him make his way across the room to pull out his clothes.   
  
"I know, I know, I'm late, I'll be ready in a few," Gordo said quickly, shooting a smile at her. "Ok?"   
  
"I wasn't going to say anything," she murmured, shaking her head.   
  
"Oh." He removed a suit from the closet, and looked at her curiously. "What, then?"   
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
"You look like you're dying to say something," Gordo said, drying himself off with the towel as he spoke.   
  
Lizzie's eyes trailed over her boyfriend's body, a familiar stirring beginning in the pit of her stomach. God, she wanted him so much…how could he not know? "Nothing," she shrugged.   
  
"Lizzie," Gordo walked towards her, smiling when her eyes remained fixed on the lower half of his body. "Baby, what's up?"   
  
Lizzie wanted to laugh at his choice of words. She could clearly see what WASN'T…. "I said nothing," she repeated, standing up and sighing. "Just get dressed." She was feeling claustrophobic in Gordo's presence, somehow, the proof of his lack of desire for her was far too much for her to take right now.   
  
"Ok," Gordo said in confusion, shaking his head as he returned to getting dressed.   
  
Lizzie slipped into her heels and walked into the other room, grabbing her purse. "I'm going to go make sure the other guys are getting ready," she called, before leaving the suite, not hearing Gordo's reply, if there was one.   
  
One at a time, she checked on her boys, making sure they were prepared for the night ahead. Miranda and Parker, ever the dutiful teammates and friends, were completely dressed and waiting for her signal to head downstairs. Danny was next, while not completely ready, he swore up and down that he would be in another five minutes time.   
  
Last was Ethan, who didn't answer the door at her initial knock. "Ethan!" She called, knocking again, and waiting impatiently. "Come on, we need to head downstairs soon."   
  
The door flew open, revealing a still dripping wet Ethan pulling up his pants, "Hold your horses, I'm….holy shit," his mouth fell open when he saw Lizzie standing in front of him, and he stopped in the middle of buckling his pants, his eyes wide as saucers. "Shit," he repeated, staring at her in awe.   
  
"Shit?" Lizzie raised an eyebrow curiously, looking him over much as he was her. "Did you get dressed IN the shower, Ethan?"   
  
"Huh?" He looked at her in confusion, before realizing she was referring to his wet clothes. "Oh, no, just wanted to get dressed fast so," he smiled meekly. "Didn't quite dry off enough."   
  
"Gotcha," she nodded in false understanding.   
  
"Lizzie, you look," Ethan shook his head as he openly stared at her, his mind racing for the proper words to describe her. "Breathtaking."   
  
Lizzie squirmed under Ethan's gaze, a blush creeping across her cheeks. "Thank you," she said softly, all of a sudden feeling strangely uncomfortable in the tight dress.   
  
"Now," Ethan took a deep breath and returned to buckling his pants as he spoke. "Don't you tell me Gordo didn't notice you looking like this."   
  
Lizzie bit her lip hard, and looked down at the floor, "don't ask, then."   
  
"Jesus," he shook his head in amazement. Lizzie looked like something he would have dreamt up in a fantasy, not like a living, breathing woman standing in his doorway. How could Gordo not have reacted to her? How could Gordo keep his hands off of her? "I don't get it, Lizzie," he said mournfully, turning away from her to grab his shoes on the floor of the room. "He's gotta be exhausted, I guess, because I can promise you, every other man at that party tonight is going to notice you."   
  
"I guess," Lizzie pushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, and smiled. "Anyway, I just came by to make sure you were getting ready. I'll see you downstairs in ten minutes?"   
  
"I'll be there," Ethan replied, his eyes trailing over her body as she walked back down the hallway to her room. God, with Lizzie looking like that, he'd go anywhere she was.   
  
He smiled to himself as he closed the door, his eyes narrowing wickedly. Tonight was going to be one hell of a party.   
  
Ethan had a sneaky feeling he was about to win his Game.   
  
**************************************************************************   
  
A few hours later, Lizzie was thanking the gods for Ethan deciding to be her companion for the evening. She'd made the mistake, early on in the party, of burying her hurt over Gordo's lack of response to her in a good deal of Danny's vodka stash, and had gotten rather drunk, rather quickly. Ethan had been the only one to notice her state, and had been spending the night with an arm slung around her waist, not only for emotional comfort, but to keep her upright as she struggled to act as sober as possible.   
  
"Honey," Gordo walked up to them, smiling widely at the grin on Lizzie's face. "Having fun?"   
  
"A wonderful time," Lizzie slurred, leaning into Ethan as she swayed on her heels.   
  
"I'm going to head up to bed, I'm…"   
  
"Don't tell me," she looked at him, her eyes narrowing angrily. "Tired."   
  
Gordo nodded slowly, not understanding her sudden anger. "It was a long day, baby…"   
  
"The party's not over yet, Gordo, you still have work to do here," Lizzie reminded him.   
  
"Ethan and the guys can handle it," Gordo looked at Ethan hopefully. "Can't you?"   
  
Ethan wanted to punch Gordo for being so blind to his girlfriend's pain, but just nodded his agreement. "Sure."   
  
"I'll see you later," Gordo kissed Lizzie's forehead before walking out of the room, not seeing the tears that filled her eyes as she watched him go.   
  
"Goddamn son of a fucking bitch," Lizzie cursed, whirling away from the sight of her boyfriend leaving, and nearly falling over.   
  
"Woah," Ethan grabbed her tight as she tripped, pulling her back up. "Maybe we should go sit down for a while?"   
  
"I want another drink," she said firmly, trying to walk towards the bar. She glared at Ethan when he refused to move, and smacked at his hands surrounding her waist, "goddammit, Ethan, I said I want another drink!"   
  
"You're drunk already, Lizzie."   
  
"No shit, Craft!" Lizzie shot back, rolling her eyes. "You're right, Ethan, you're not so blonde after all. Now let me go."   
  
"No," Ethan said stubbornly. "You've had enough to…"   
  
Lizzie elbowed him in the ribs, taking off across the room to the bar when his arms released her. "Bastard."   
  
"Lizzie," Ethan groaned in pain, but followed her just the same, one hand rubbing his stomach. "Dammit, that hurt!"   
  
"Aww, poor baby," Lizzie cooed sarcastically. She reached the bar and smiled at the bartender, ordering a double shot of whiskey, straight up, slamming her fake ID down on the bar.   
  
Ethan's eyes widened as he heard her order, and he stared at her. "Are you nuts?"   
  
"Nope," she winked at the bartender when he brought her the drink, before throwing it back straight. "I'll take another, sweetie," she told him, grinning when he told her she could have anything she wanted.   
  
Ethan glared at the bartender, shaking his head. "Lizzie, what are you doing?"   
  
"Flirting. Getting as drunk as possible. Not necessarily in that order," Lizzie said coyly. "Thanks hon," she accepted the drink, and turned to Ethan, holding the glass in the air. "Want one?"   
  
"No," he scowled at her, then at the bartender, who was staring at her chest. "Don't you have some other people to help?"   
  
"He's just being nice, Ethan," Lizzie said, smiling at the man. "Isn't he."   
  
"He's ogling you," Ethan dragged Lizzie away from the bar, groaning when she downed the shot before letting him pull her away. "Come on."   
  
"Where are we going?" She asked, craning her head to look back at the bartender, who was still watching her. "Bye," she waved at him with a small giggle.   
  
"Out of here," Ethan replied.   
  
"But, Ethan, at least he wanted me," Lizzie said in frustration, bumping into Ethan when he stopped walking. "What now!"   
  
"Goddammit, Lizzie," Ethan turned around and looked at her, shaking his head. "I swear to you, he's not the only one who wants you, ok?" He said quickly, before grabbing her hand and pulling her out of the room.   
  
"Who does, then?" Lizzie asked, sighing when he didn't reply. "Right. Nobody."   
  
"In," Ethan shoved her into the elevator and waited for the doors to close before looking at her. "Lizzie, Gordo's a fool, how many times do I have to tell you that?"   
  
"But if he doesn't want me, why would anyone else?" She shot back, tears filling her eyes. She leaned back against the wall of the elevator, her feet sliding across the floor. "Oh shit, I'm gonna fall…"   
  
"I got you," Ethan grabbed her before she hit the floor, pulling her up against his body to steady her. "Now I see why you don't drink very often."   
  
"I'm a fun drunk," Lizzie told him, giggling as he struggled to walk both of them out of the elevator. "It's Gordo who's the boring drunk."   
  
"Sure, this is fun," Ethan muttered, propping her up against the wall while he dug in his pocket for his room key. "In," he pushed her into the room once the door was open, maneuvering her to the couch and sitting her down.   
  
Lizzie lay back, watching him while he walked across the room and bent down to examine the mini-bar. "You've got a great ass," she remarked, giggling when he stood up and whirled around to stare at her. "What?"   
  
"Don't say things like that," Ethan stammered, turning back around uncomfortably. Not when he was trying so hard to be a gentleman, not when she was acting like this…jesus…   
  
"You do, though," Lizzie outlined his rear in the air with her hands. "A nice bubble butt. Probably really good to grab onto while you're…"   
  
"Lizzie!" Ethan threw a bottle of water at her, laughing when she just let it fall on her lap. "That's water."   
  
"I can see what this is," she looked down at it dimly. "I'm not thirsty."   
  
"You will be," he replied. He took off his coat and threw it on a chair, raising an eyebrow when he saw Lizzie still staring at him. "What?"   
  
"You are so beautiful," she breathed, her mouth hanging open as she looked him over. "I don't get it, Ethan, how can you be so…so…"   
  
Ethan's heart was pounding in his chest, and he knew full well he should stop her, but he just had to know what she was trying to say. "I'm what?"   
  
"Perfect," Lizzie finally finished. She slipped off her heels and pulled up her legs, reaching up her dress to unhook her stockings. "I'm hot, don't mind me," she said as she pulled down a stocking, laughing when the garter belt tried to come down with it. "Oops."   
  
Ethan groaned and turned his head away. God, didn't Lizzie know what she was doing to him? "I'm not perfect," he finally said, right as one silk stocking landed on his head.   
  
Lizzie giggled, and shook her head. "Yes, you are," she argued. "You're so nice, sweet, you understand me, you're just the right amount of smartass to keep things interesting…" She flung the other stocking at him.   
  
"Shit," Ethan felt the other stocking land on his shoulder and threw it on the floor, turning around to look at her. "Lizzie, what are you doing?" He asked her cautiously, a strange feeling creeping over him.   
  
"I don't know," she admitted, sliding down the garter belt and pulling it off. She twirled the lacey belt between her hands, smiling when she noticed Ethan's eyes locked on it. "You like these?"   
  
"Yeah," he said softly, before sighing. "I'm sure Gordo does too."   
  
"Gordo doesn't like anything I do these days," Lizzie threw the belt at him, smiling when he batted it away. "Your face is red," she remarked.   
  
"So's yours," Ethan replied. Of course his face was red. Lizzie was driving him crazy, didn't she realize that? He wanted her so badly, but…something about what she'd said was just sitting very wrong with him.   
  
"I'm drunk."   
  
"I'm hot."   
  
"Take your clothes off, then," Lizzie said bluntly.   
  
Ethan's eyes widened, and he shook his head slowly, "no, Lizzie, I can't."   
  
"Sure you can," she said coyly, pushing herself up off of the couch and standing up. She swayed unsteadily as she walked over to Ethan, "I'll help you, even, since you won't come over to me."   
  
"You don't want to do that," Ethan said in a shaky voice, his body frozen in place as she closed the distance between them.   
  
"God, Ethan, how come I never realized what a wonderful man you are?" Lizzie asked breathlessly as she reached him, reaching up and sliding her hand over the back of his neck.   
  
"I'm not…" Ethan argued, his words catching in a moan as Lizzie's other hand slid underneath his shirt, creeping up over his back. "Lizzie…stop…"   
  
"Kiss me, Ethan," she whispered, pulling his head down to hers.   
  
Ethan's lips were on hers before he consciously knew what he was doing, his hands tangling through her hair to hold her head in place. He gasped when he felt the softness of her lips move to take his, his heart soaring from the heat he could feel radiating from her.   
  
Lizzie gave herself fully to the kiss, leaning into Ethan's body as her mouth opened, moaning from the first hesitant touch of his tongue against hers.   
  
Ethan's initial hesitation quickly gave way to passion, his need for her sending him into a tailspin of lust. He groaned with pleasure as he brutally took her mouth, in a poor imitation of the way he desperately needed to take her body. His hands slid down her body to her chest, his fingers finding a breast and squeezing it roughly. He dimly was aware of her cry of pleasure, and felt her body sway against him. This was it. He'd done it. Lizzie was his…   
  
"Oh god, Ethan, please," Lizzie gasped as she felt his lips move down to her neck, her knees buckling under the intense onslaught. "I need you…I need this…"   
  
Ethan stopped and pulled away, looking into her eyes. "Lizzie," he whispered, his heart sinking when he saw the expression on her face. Shit. He couldn't do this…not when she trusted him, when she thought he was this amazing person…not when Lizzie thought he truly was the person he'd been pretending to be for her. He couldn't do that to her. Not when she cared…not when he cared…   
  
"Ethan please, make love to me," Lizzie begged, grabbing his hands and pulling them around her back.   
  
"I can't," he choked out, pulling his hands out of her grasp and backing away. This had to be the hardest thing he'd ever done, stopping her like this, but…he had to. He couldn't do this to her.   
  
Lizzie's eyes widened, and she stared at him in amazement. "What?"   
  
"I said I can't," Ethan repeated, falling into a chair and running a hand through his hair. "FUCK."   
  
"But you said…" Lizzie whispered, unable to believe what he was saying. "I thought you wanted me?"   
  
"I do, Lizzie, christ I do," Ethan said in a pained voice, staring at the floor in front of him.   
  
"Then why won't you?"   
  
"I'm not who you think I am," he said sadly, shaking his head.   
  
"You called me beautiful," Lizzie said softly, tears filling her eyes. "You said…"   
  
"You are beautiful, Lizzie, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever known," Ethan looked up at her, his heart breaking at the pain on her face. "Beautiful, and sexy, and…" He reached out for her, biting his lip when she backed away.   
  
"And you still won't touch me," Lizzie said angrily. "You lie, just like Gordo," she spat out, shaking her head. "God, how stupid could I have been," she looked around the room and picked up her shoes as tears rolled down her face. "Why would you want me? I'm such a fool."   
  
"Lizzie, stop, you don't get it," Ethan pleaded with her, chasing her as she ran to the door. "Don't go."   
  
"Leave me alone, Ethan," she said quickly, disappearing out the door and slamming it behind her.   
  
"FUCK," Ethan shouted as the door closed, falling against it as his own tears began. This was not how the Game was supposed to work!   
  
Lizzie had wanted him. Lizzie had been throwing herself at him. Lizzie genuinely seemed to care for him, even.   
  
Except, what was killing him, was that Lizzie had no idea that the person she liked so much wasn't really him. Just a charade, just part of the Game.   
  
He'd totally screwed things up.   
  
He'd gone and fallen in love with Lizzie. He wanted Lizzie to want HIM…not the fake him that he was pretending to be.   
  
She wasn't supposed to believe in him, she wasn't supposed to have cared…it was just supposed to be about sex!!   
  
"FUCK THIS STUPID GAME!" Ethan screamed, glaring at the garter belt and stockings still strewn across his room. He covered his face as hot tears burned down his face, shaking his head. How could this have happened? Why?   
  
"I love her, goddammit," he moaned, banging his head against the wall.   
  
And what the hell was he supposed to do now?   
  
*********************************************************************** 


	9. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven   
  
Lizzie stumbled down the hallway, not knowing where she was going, or what to do. She felt completely and totally humiliated. God, what the hell had she been thinking, throwing herself at Ethan? She didn't really know which was worse, the fact that she'd made that much of a fool out of herself, or the blow to her ego by fact that he'd turned her down.   
  
Her tears blurred her vision as she walked, bumping into the walls as she swayed back and forth. He'd lied!! Everything he'd ever said to her he'd just said to make her feel better. "Sure he wanted me, sure he did," she muttered, tripping over the carpeted floor and falling down in a heap. "Shit," she began to sob, and curled up on the floor, not caring who walked by. It didn't matter anymore. Her boyfriend didn't want her, Ethan was probably horrified by what she'd done…none of it mattered.   
  
"Lizzie?"   
  
Lizzie groaned at the soft voice, and waved her hand in the air, hoping whoever it was would just go away. "No."   
  
"Very funny," Danny knelt down and looked her in the eye, his expression growing sympathetic. "What's wrong? You and Ethan left so suddenly…"   
  
"I'm drunk," Lizzie replied, turning her head away from Danny's gaze. "That's all."   
  
"You're crying," Danny's eyes trailed over her, taking note of her bare legs and her shoes in her hand. "What did Ethan do to you?"   
  
Lizzie snorted, and shook her head. "Nothing." What did she do to Ethan, wasn't that the question to ask? He offered up his friendship, and look what she did. Acting like a fucking tramp, throwing herself at him…   
  
"Come on, let's get you to your room," Danny grabbed her arm and hauled her onto her feet, ignoring her cry in protest. "I'm sure your boyfriend's wondering where you are."   
  
"I'm sure my boyfriend doesn't care," Lizzie slurred, nearly falling onto Danny when she tried to get her to walk. "Danny, stop it," she said weakly, batting at him with her heels.   
  
"Watch it, those things are lethal weapons," Danny ducked out of the way, wrapping his arms around her and sighing. "Shit. As much as I like to think I'm strong, I don't think I can carry you to your room."   
  
"I'll just stay here then," Lizzie pushed Danny away and slid back to the floor, covering her head with her hands.   
  
Danny looked at Lizzie through narrowed eyes, wondering what to do. "You sure Ethan didn't do anything?"   
  
"Positive."   
  
"Then you won't mind if I go get him…" Danny took off down the hall before she could react, ignoring her shout for her to stop. The way he saw it, it was either Ethan or Gordo, and given Lizzie's state, getting Gordo would probably be the wrong choice, as then he would have to explain to HIM where her stockings disappeared to. Not to mention, at least Ethan's room was right here, while Gordo and Lizzie's was all the way down the hallway, clear on the other side of the hotel.   
  
Ethan was still sitting on the floor of his room when he heard the knock at his door, and he jumped up, hoping against hope that it was Lizzie. "Oh, hi," he frowned when he recognized Danny on the other side, leaning against the doorframe.   
  
"Look, I don't know what happened, and I don't want to know," Danny said, his voice conveying no emotion as he took in Ethan's disheveled state. "But Lizzie's gotta get to her room somehow, she can't walk, and I can't carry her. Will you?"   
  
Ethan's eyes widened, and he followed Danny into the hallway, gasping when he saw Lizzie in a heap on the floor. "Of course…" He knelt down next to her, murmuring to her to relax as he scooped her up and stood.   
  
"Leave me alone," Lizzie cried in response, her hands striking Ethan's chest weakly. "Ethan, let me go."   
  
"I can't do that, Lizzie," he said softly, as he walked to her room. "You don't want Gordo to see you like this, do you?"   
  
"Gordo's an asshole," she sniffled, and smacked Ethan again. "So are you."   
  
"Yeah, I know," Ethan agreed sadly. They walked in silence until they reached her room, when he stopped. "Got your key?"   
  
"In my purse…" she stared at him blankly, before groaning. "In your room."   
  
Ethan looked at Danny, his expression apologetic. "Can you…"   
  
Danny held up a hand, his eyes shooting daggers at Ethan. "Of course it's in your room," he said sarcastically, before turning around and running back along the hallway to Ethan's room.   
  
"Lizzie, why'd you go running out like that," Ethan whispered to her, biting his lip when she just let out a sad sob. "I never wanted to hurt you."   
  
"Why'd you say no, then?" Lizzie asked him sadly, looking up into his eyes. "I needed you so bad…"   
  
"Because I had to, I couldn't…"   
  
"Why not?" Lizzie cried, her lower lip trembling. "Why the hell not?"   
  
"Because I love you," Ethan said softly, groaning when he realized what he'd said. Oh god, he hadn't meant to tell her…   
  
Lizzie gasped and stared back at him, her mouth dropping open in surprise. "Wha…"   
  
"Ok, here," Danny returned at that exact moment, Lizzie's purse and key in his hands. He shot a worried look at the two of them before opening the door, trying not to think too much about what he was seeing in either Ethan or Lizzie's expression. He held a finger to his lips and waved them into the darkened room, watching as Ethan carefully laid Lizzie down on the bed next to Gordo. "I'm putting your purse on the table," he whispered, frowning when he saw Lizzie's eyes locked on Ethan.   
  
"Go to sleep, Lizzie," Ethan whispered, running a hand through her hair and kissing her forehead. His eyes glanced over to Gordo sleeping on the other side of the bed, and he sighed as he stood up. "Ok?"   
  
Lizzie just nodded, watching as Ethan and Danny left the room, the door closing quietly behind them. She curled up in the bed, a thousand thoughts spinning through her head.   
  
Ethan loved her.   
  
Ethan loved Lizzie.   
  
She yawned, and tried to think about what that meant, but her inebriated mind was not going to let her, the darkness of the room just too tempting. One more yawn, one more grin as 'Ethan loves Lizzie' went though her mind, and she was asleep.   
  
**********************************************************************   
  
"Hold it RIGHT there, Craft," Danny chased Ethan back down the hall, grabbing the blonde's arm when he didn't stop. "Ethan, we're talking, now."   
  
"There's nothing to talk about," Ethan said pitifully, yanking his arm out of Danny's grasp. "Just let me go to sleep."   
  
"Bullshit," Danny hissed. He watched Ethan open the door to his room, and stepped inside before the door could be closed in his face. "What's that, then?" he pointed to the garter belt lying on the floor near the couch.   
  
Ethan looked at the garter belt, his blue eyes bright. He sighed, and shook his head, "if you don't know what that is, Danny…"   
  
"WHO's is it?" Danny asked, picking it up and throwing it at Ethan. "Don't you think I didn't notice Lizzie wasn't wearing any stockings. Those in here too?"   
  
Ethan caught the garter, sitting down in a chair as he held the lacy fabric in his hands. "It doesn't matter," he said sadly, twisting the garter around his fingers.   
  
"She's Gordo's girlfriend, Ethan," Danny said angrily, pacing around the room with his eyes down on the ground.   
  
"You don't think I know that?"   
  
"Ah-ha!" Danny grabbed a stocking off the floor and winged it at Ethan. "What's that?"   
  
"Stop it, Danny!" Ethan snatched the stocking out of the air, sighing heavily. "Nothing happened, you don't have to worry."   
  
"What were you doing with her, then? And why do I keep finding," he bent down and picked up another stocking, holding it up triumphantly. "These."   
  
"She's only got two," Ethan said, rolling his eyes.   
  
"They should be on her legs."   
  
"She took them off," Ethan said softly.   
  
"Why?"   
  
Ethan sighed, and sat back in the chair. "Doesn't matter."   
  
"Ethany," Danny sat down across from Ethan, throwing the last stocking at him. He snickered when the blonde jumped, "what's going on?"   
  
"Remember the Game, Danny?" Ethan asked quietly, his eyes fixed on the stockings in his lap.   
  
Danny's eyes widened, and he shook his head, "oh no, don't you tell me that you were going after Lizzie for that."   
  
"I made a mistake," Ethan interrupted Danny, his voice sad and solemn. "I was sick of winning the Game all the time, it was too easy, you know? So I went after someone that was gonna be hard to get, someone really special."   
  
"Lizzie," Danny said dryly.   
  
"Yeah," Ethan nodded slowly. "But it got all screwed up, it wasn't supposed to work like this," he bit his lip hard as tears filled his eyes, and knotted the stockings around his hand. "I couldn't do it."   
  
"What happened, Ethan?" Danny asked, compassion filling his voice when he realized how upset Ethan was. This wasn't just arrogant Ethan trying to get laid anymore, something was really going on…   
  
"She was throwing herself at me. I'd done it, you know? She wanted me so bad, that's why she took these off," Ethan clenched the stockings tight in one fist. "But then she looked at me, and, god, it was like someone had just punched me in the chest."   
  
"Why?"   
  
Ethan sniffled sadly, raising his eyes to look at Danny. "Nobody had ever looked at me like that before."   
  
"Like what?"   
  
"I'd been pretending to be this really cool guy to get her, you know how we played the Game, we always would be what the woman really wanted. But Lizzie, god, she believed it," Ethan wiped a tear from his cheek, and ran a hand through his hair, his lower lip trembling. "She really thought I was this incredible person, and she trusted that person. THAT was the person she wanted, not me."   
  
Danny sighed, "what did you expect, Ethan?"   
  
"I couldn't do it!" Ethan cried, throwing the stockings at Danny in his frustration. "That wasn't supposed to happen! I was supposed to just fuck her and be done with it. But I couldn't…she meant too much to me."   
  
"What do you mean?" Danny's eyes widened, and he looked at Ethan, dread filling his voice. "She's Gordo's girlfriend…"   
  
"I love her, Danny," Ethan confessed solemnly. "I want her to love ME, not the person I was pretending to be. And the last thing in the world I ever want to do to her is just fuck her and leave her."   
  
"But that's the Game," Danny reminded him.   
  
"Then I lost," he replied sadly. "I couldn't do it. I lost."   
  
"So the player got played by his own game, huh?" Danny remarked wryly.   
  
"Played but good," Ethan agreed sadly. "I thought I could go through with it, I really could. God, when she kissed me, it was amazing," he shuddered at the memory. "I've never been kissed like that before, and I'm sure I've never kissed anyone like that before either. But then I looked in her eyes. And that was when I stopped. The way she looked at me…"   
  
"I saw the way she looked at you."   
  
Ethan looked at Danny, his eyes wide, "so you saw?"   
  
"I don't want to think about what I saw, Ethan," Danny said, shaking his head. "She's Gordo's girlfriend."   
  
"But Gordo treats her like shit!" Ethan said angrily. "It's all fucking Gordo's fault, anyway, that I even had a chance to do this. She would be so upset about Gordo, all she needed was a shoulder to cry on. I was just there."   
  
"You didn't have to be so willing to step in."   
  
"It was a GAME!" Ethan shouted.   
  
"Not anymore!" Danny shouted back. "Not the way she's looking at you, not the way you were looking at her. Christ, Ethan, what the fuck have you gone and done?"   
  
"Fallen in love with Gordo's girlfriend," Ethan replied softly.   
  
"And she's in love with you," Danny added.   
  
Ethan gasped, and stared at Danny, "no."   
  
"I saw her face, Ethan," Danny said solemnly. "That's a girl in love."   
  
"I mean, no," Ethan sniffled, and wiped another tear from his eye. "She's not in love with me."   
  
"Then…"   
  
"She's in love with the guy I pretended to be for the Game. Lizzie would probably hate me."   
  
"Well, maybe that's a good thing, then," Danny sighed, and rolled his eyes. "God, Ethan, I can't believe you. You gone and got her falling for a guy who doesn't even exist?"   
  
Ethan couldn't resist a small smirk, "I'm good, ain't I?"   
  
"Oh yeah, you good," Danny said sarcastically, his eyes narrowing. "So what the fuck you gonna do now, genius?"   
  
Ethan sighed, "be myself?"   
  
"Break her heart?"   
  
"I think I already did that," Ethan said sadly. "Tonight, when I said no….she was so upset…"   
  
"I bet, Ethan, you throw yourself at her, and then turn around and say no? Fuck, what a head trip."   
  
"I just couldn't do it."   
  
"Good," Danny said firmly. "Just remember that. Don't do it, no matter what happens. She's someone else's girlfriend."   
  
"Remind Gordo of that, would you?" Ethan said, looking at Danny. "He has a wonderful girl, and he's just throwing it all away."   
  
"Stay out of it, Ethan," Danny warned. "Just keep your pants up, and stay out of it."   
  
"I love her," Ethan moaned, slumping down in the chair. "Danny, I've never been in love before! And I love her."   
  
"Great, Ethan," Danny said dryly. "You couldn't have met a girl under normal circumstances to love, could you. You had to go and play her like this…"   
  
"I didn't mean to."   
  
"Stupid fucking Game, why do you think I stopped playing it ages ago?"   
  
"It was fun!"   
  
"Is this fun?" Danny challenged, staring at Ethan until the blonde shook his head sadly. "The player got played," he said, shaking his head in amazement. "Serves you right, Ethan."   
  
Ethan's eyes narrowed, and he glared at Danny, "oh, fuck you."   
  
"Irony's fun, isn't it?"   
  
"Go to hell."   
  
"Here," Danny threw the stockings back at Ethan as he stood up. "I'm going to bed. You…stay away from Lizzie. This Game is over."   
  
"Yeah, I know," Ethan said, nodding slowly. "Game over. I lost."   
  
"Everyone's gotta lose sometime."   
  
"Not me, Danny," Ethan whispered, frowning from ear to ear. Never, ever, did he expect to lose a Game. Ethan Craft did not lose anything. But now…he'd been good and beaten, by a girl who didn't even know the Game. "Not me."   
  
*********************************************************************   
  
Lizzie woke up to the worst headache she thought she'd ever had in her life. "Oh god," she groaned," rolling over in bed and burying her head in the pillows.   
  
"You awake, baby?"   
  
"I'm dying," she moaned, scowling when she heard Gordo laugh. "Fuck you."   
  
"You're hungover, Lizzie," Gordo sat down next to her on the bed, and forced her to roll over. "Here," he handed her two aspirin and a bottle of water. "This'll make you feel better."   
  
"Kill me," Lizzie whined, taking the aspirin just the same. She pushed herself up to a sitting position, and looked at Gordo through narrowed eyes, "don't you look wide awake this morning."   
  
"I slept well," he replied, missing the sarcasm in her remark. "Unlike you, who apparently had a bit too much fun at the party after I left."   
  
"Apparently," she sighed, and pushed herself off of the bed, grabbing the nightstand when she nearly fell over. "Fuck. Dizzy spell."   
  
"How'd you even get back here last night? You obviously weren't in any state to get undressed," Gordo noted, looking over her disheveled dress.   
  
"I, uh," Lizzie looked herself up and down, gasping when she remembered Ethan carrying her into the room. He'd said…oh god. "Ethan and Danny," she whispered. "They carried me in here."   
  
"That was nice of them," Gordo said blankly, watching as she shuffled across the room to the bathroom. "You gonna be ok in there?"   
  
"Yeah," she walked into the bathroom, before turning around, hanging off of the doorframe to look at him. "Gordo, later tonight, tomorrow, whenever my head's on straight…can we talk?"   
  
"Sure," he shrugged, returning his attention to the television in front of him. "Whatever."   
  
"I mean really talk."   
  
Gordo turned to look at her, his green eyes wide with curiosity. "Something wrong?"   
  
Lizzie sighed. God, if he had to ask… "No, Gordo, I just think we should talk."   
  
"Sure, whenever."   
  
She groaned, and closed the bathroom door, wincing from the pain in her head from the loud bang. Sure. Whatever.   
  
****************************************************************   
  
Two days later, Lizzie was physically much better, but emotionally felt worse than ever. Gordo was being his usual "exhausted" self, and Ethan was flat out ignoring her, something she just didn't understand. He'd told her he loved her, and then started acting like this? Her already fragile ego had gotten beaten in yet another time, and she could only wonder how much more of it she could take.   
  
Gordo was lying in bed, once again, tired, and looking forward to a long night's sleep. "You coming, baby?"   
  
"I'm not that tired, Gordo," Lizzie said softly, emerging from the bathroom in a soft off-white satin nightgown. Why she even bothered wearing such things was beyond her, it wasn't like he was going to notice.   
  
"Come here, baby," Gordo reached out for her, smiling when she slid into his arms. "I love you so much," he said earnestly, his hands wrapping around her waist and pulling her close. He captured her lips in an intense kiss, before pulling away, smiling. "You know that, right?"   
  
"Show me," Lizzie whispered, running her hands over his chest. "Please, baby, show me."   
  
"Lizzie," Gordo groaned, looking up at her with a pained expression. "I told you I'm tired…"   
  
"Gordo, please," Lizzie grabbed his hand and pressed it to her breast, gasping with pleasure when his fingers instinctively tightened around the soft mound. "Make love to me, it's been so long."   
  
"I'm sorry it's been so long, but I just haven't felt up to it," Gordo wrenched his hand out of her grasp, shaking his head. "Another night."   
  
"Am I that unattractive?" Lizzie asked softly, tears filling her eyes. "Is it really that horrible to imagine making love to me?"   
  
"No, baby, I swear it's not that," Gordo said, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I love you, and you will always be the most beautiful girl I know."   
  
"Then why can't you stand to touch me?" Lizzie climbed on top of him, leaning down over him to look him in the eye. "Why, Gordo?"   
  
"Lizzie, don't," Gordo's face contorted, and he groaned as he picked her off of him, setting her back down on the bed. "Shit, that hurt," he said softly, shaking his head.   
  
"That HURT?" Lizzie asked in amazement, a tear trickling down her face. "What, am I fat now too?" She gasped, and covered her mouth with her hand, "is that it?"   
  
"No, Lizzie…"   
  
"I hurt you?" She whispered in horror, scrambling out of the bed. "Jesus, Gordo…"   
  
"Baby, come back to bed, let's get some sleep."   
  
"You get some sleep, Gordo," Lizzie grabbed a sweatshirt, throwing it on in a huff. "I'm getting out of here."   
  
Gordo sighed, rolling his eyes. "Sneaking out in the middle of the night again? You seem to be doing that a lot lately." He smiled wryly, "if I didn't know you so well, I'd be worrying about you having an affair."   
  
Lizzie glared at Gordo, "what's that supposed to mean?"   
  
"You wouldn't, I mean, baby..you don't do that."   
  
Lizzie snorted, and sighed. "Yeah, right, Gordo. I wouldn't." She waved at him and left the room, slamming the door behind her angrily. "I wouldn't, would I?" She asked herself, stomping down the hallway. "Maybe I would, Gordo, maybe I would…" She stopped and leaned against the wall as she began to cry, biting her lip hard.   
  
"Shit!" Lizzie said to herself, frowning deeply. She wasn't going to sit crying in the hallway, she wasn't going to feel sorry for herself, she was going to do…something. Anything. She wanted… she whirled around when she heard a sound from the room behind her, her eyes widening.   
  
That was a video game she heard.   
  
That was Ethan's room.   
  
A split second and her mind was made up, her hand knocking on the door. She was breathing heavily as she waited for him to answer, unsure exactly of what she was doing. She knew what she wanted…needed…from him.   
  
Ethan opened the door, gasping when he saw Lizzie standing in his doorway. She looked…well…beautiful, but…awful…tears in her eyes, her hair a tousled mess, and she was barely dressed, he looked down and noted her lack of pants. "Lizzie?"   
  
"Say it, Ethan," Lizzie pushed him back into the room, her hands going to his face. "Please? I need to hear it."   
  
"Hear what?" Ethan gasped, his heart pounding at the touch of her hands. "What are you doing, Lizzie?"   
  
"Please, Ethan, just tell me what you told me," she begged, her thumb sliding over his cheek. "Please," she pressed herself against his body, smiling when a soft moan left his throat. "Ethan?"   
  
"Lizzie, you're crying," Ethan choked out, staring down at her in awe. What the hell had gotten into her??   
  
"Ethan, PLEASE," Lizzie asked again, her hands tangling through his hair to pull his face down to hers. "Say it. Let me hear you say it."   
  
Ethan bit his lip hard, positive there was no way in the world he could say no to this. He knew what she wanted to hear, he knew her well enough by now to know that. And he also knew it had taken every ounce of his willpower to push her away the first time, there wasn't a chance in hell he was going to be able to do it now.   
  
"Say it," Lizzie whispered.   
  
Ethan closed his eyes, and resigned himself to his fate. "Lizzie," he said softly. "I love you…"   
  
************************************************************************* 


End file.
